Army helped NRM win Karamoja, says Pulkol

Former spy chief David Pulkol has accused the army of rigging elections and unleashing terror against opposition voters in Karamoja sub-region to help President Museveni and the NRM win the recently-concluded polls.

Mr Pulkol also said he intercepted a confidential letter from the National Resistance Movement Secretary General and Security Minister, Mr Amama Mbabazi, which he said the army leadership in Karamoja used as a warrant to terrorise the opposition candidates and rigging elections with impunity.
Mr Pulkol (UPC) lost to NRM’s Simon Aleper in the Moroto Municipality parliamentary race.

“UPDF in Karamoja have acted like a militia of the NRM,” Mr Pulkol said. “Mr Mbabazi on February 12 wrote an urgent and confidential letter asking the NRM machinery in Karamoja, including the army to neutralise the opposition—targeting me, Francis Kiyonga and Dr Paul Lochap of Kotido.”

Army denies
Quoting Chinese scholar Mao Tse-tung, who said: “No evidence, no right to talk”, the 3rd Division Spokesman, Capt. Deo Akiiki, yesterday denied the allegations of ballot stuffing, voter intimidation and opposition harassment—challenging Mr Pulkol to produce evidence in courts of law.

“We have not seen Mbabazi’s letter,” Capt Akiiki said. “During elections, the army acted professionally and we didn’t rig for anybody. Our people should learn to accept defeat. If Mr Pulkol was defeated in the elections, he should not involve the army.”

He added: “We are not angels but if Mr Pulkol and his friends have evidence let them go to court. In this election, we have been neutral and we cannot be blamed for the crimes we didn’t commit. The army only intervened where the Inspector General of Police requested us to help. It’s not right for Pulkol to allege without evidence.”

Writing in a government owned newspaper, The New Vision, Gen Aronda Nyakairima, the army boss, said yesterday that the army involvement was essential due to vulnerability of the electoral period and defended the UPDF from the allegations of intimidating voters.

“For the politicians, this (army deployment) was much awaited balm for their political injuries. Without citing a single incidence of evidence of direct or indirect intimidation on poling day, they pass judgment on one of Africa’s most respected military forces,” he wrote.

Evidence
Asked whether he has evidence to pin the army, Mr Pulkol said: “It’s an open secret, Special Forces were involved in multiple voting. They voted in barracks and they were transported from Kasiroyi to Loro in Amudat District, from Moroto and again back to Loro voting in all these areas.”

He added: “Ten lorries full of soldiers were seen taking ballot boxes from Kapchorwa to Bukwo and then to Karita. Even when we intercepted pre-ticked ballot papers, nobody recorded any statement. Even after making sure that subverting the rights of our people to choose their leaders, they are now after Hon. Kiyonga.”

While Mr Mbabazi was unavailable for comment, the NRM spokesperson, Mr Ofwono Opondo, yesterday sent text message to this newspaper saying: “Pulkol and the opposition can suck up. They lost almost everywhere in Uganda. Was the army everywhere? How come they won Gulu and Kasese with UPDF presence?”