Bushenyi FDC candidate rejects results
Mr Paul Kahiigi (R) and Mr Jaffari Basajjabalaba pose during the good times before the elections were held. PHOTO by Zadock Amanyisa.
What you need to know:
Rejected. The Bushenyi FDC candidate has rejected polls results and vowed to go to courts of law
Bushenyi.
The Forum for Democratic Change candidate, Mr Paul Turyamureeba Kahiigi, has been defeated by NRM’s Jaffari Basajjabalaba in the race for Bushenyi Local Council seat, but rejected the results and vowed to go to court of law.
Mr Basajjabalaba, brother of businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba, polled 29,862 votes (55 per cent) while Mr Kahiigi got 24,379 (44.9 per cent), according to the results announced by the district registrar, Mr Godfrey Mbabazi.
Mr Basajjabalaba has been the public accounts committee chairman for Bushenyi District Council. Mr Kahiigi contested for the seat in 2011 but lost to NRM’s Willis Bashaasha.
Mr Kahiigi, a secondary school teacher, served as Kyamuhunga Sub-county Local Council 3 chairman between 2001 and 2006.
The incumbent MP for Ishaka-Bushenyi Municipality, Mr Odo Tayebwa, who was elected in a by-election in 2012, lost the seat this time to NRM’s Gordon Arinda.
There were claims from the FDC camp that NRM team was distributing money to buy off voters. Each voter was allegedly being given Shs3,000.
Mr Kahiigi told Daily Monitor that he has rejected the poll results because of alleged massive voter bribery across all the 12 sub-counties.
“I am gathering all the exhibits and evidence to make sure that I file a case against them. By next week, I will have done this because these people are making the election meaningless. Someone directly bribes voters on the polling day and is just declared winner? I can’t accept that and the so-called winner gets a safe ride,” said Mr Kahiigi charged.
Mr Tayebwa, citing voter bribery, has said he too will challenge the results in the courts of law.
Through his lawyers, Victoria and Co Advocates, Mr Tayebwa, who has been the only MP on FDC ticket in Ankole sub-region, has petitioned the Electoral Commission (EC) over the voter bribery.
“I am not giving EC an ultimatum on this case because they are the ones to decide but I insist, I am not satisfied with the poll results,” he said.
Following a petition by Mr Tayebwa over voter bribery by his rival in 2011 elections, the court of appeal overturned NRMs’ Nasser Basajjabalaba win. Mr Tayebwa won the by-election with 7,048 votes against Mr Basajjabalaba’s 5,653 votes in 2012.
