Masaka MP warns of dirty tricks in NRM registration
Ms Freda Mubanda (L), addresses residents of Bukoto Trading Centre in Kabonera Sub-county, Masaka District, at the weekend. Photo by Ali Mambule
MASAKA. Masaka District Woman MP, Freda Kase Mubanda, has warned of a possible sabotage of the countrywide NRM registration exercise that was launched last week.
While addressing residents of Bukoto Trading Centre in Kabonera Sub-county at the weekend, Ms Mubanda said she had received reports of a plot by some party leaders at lower levels to register non-NRM members during the exercise.
“Their intention is to empower members from other parties to participate in NRM elections to vote out strong candidates in party primaries,” Ms Mubanda said, adding: “This would give an opportunity to candidates from other parties to compete with weak NRM flag -bearers in the general elections, and defeat them.”
Allying fears
However, Mr Peter Ssenkungu, the NRM chairperson for the greater Masaka sub-region, dismissed Ms Mubanda’s claims, saying the NRM’s electoral commission will act independently and will not be influenced by anybody.
“I want to ally any fears our members have that no one will cause confusion during our exercise. We hope to have a clean exercise and everything will be done in broad daylight,” he said via telephone yesterday.
He said every village will have two trusted party members to screen those who will take part in the party registration exercise.
Ms Mubanda called upon the party leadership to lay strategies and appoint impartial officials who will carry out the registration exercise in Masaka District and in the country in general.
“This will help NRM from facing challenges of members fighting against each other over disputed elections like we have seen in other parties,” she added.
Kudos for new register
Ms Mubanda commended the NRM secretariat for coming up with a new party register instead of pleading for an old one that cannot be easily accessed.
She urged all NRM members to participate in the party registration exercise and condemned all those who declined to turn out during the update of the national voters’ register, saying they will blame nobody if they are left out in the forthcoming general elections.
“It will be very unfortunate for you to develop interest in a candidate when your name is not on the voters’ register,” Ms Freda Mubanda said.
Issues
Disputed. Ms Mubanda disputed reports that she was pulling out of the 2016 Masaka Woman MP race, saying such rumours were circulated by weak candidates who did not have genuine manifestos to support their reasons to contest as leaders. .
New register. Last week, the ruling NRM party announced fresh registration of its members after the new team at the party secretariat said their predecessors went without handing over the party register.
