Mwesigye boycotts NRM poll rerun in Nyabushozi
Col Fred Mwesigye
What you need to know:
- In an October 12 letter, Col Mwesigye, who was initially declared winner, wrote to NRM electoral commission, saying the party had already endorsed him as the flag bearer.
The MP for Nyabushozi County in Kiruhura District, Col (rtd) Fred Mwesigye, has told the NRM electoral commission that he would not participate in today’s fresh primaries for the seat.
In an October 12 letter, Col Mwesigye, who was initially declared winner, wrote to NRM electoral commission, saying the party had already endorsed him as the flag bearer.
“The NRM has since issued notification of our client as the flag bearer for Nyabushozi Constituency in the 2021 General Election, and endorsed his nomination papers. Nominations for national elections are scheduled Thursday this week, in barley two days to come. At law, any complaint and any questions regarding the status of our client have been overtaken by events and are expressly prohibited by the law,” the letter reads in part.
“The party has exhausted its legal mandate with regard to the election and is not permitted by the national law to review and or depart from its declaration and endorsement of our client as its flag bearer,” it adds.
Col Mwesigye yesterday said he handed the letter to the party electoral commission chairperson, Mr Tanga Odoi.
“He received the letter. I am not participating in the election exercise as I stated in that letter,” he said.
Mr Tanga could not be reached for a comment as he did not answer our repeated telephone calls.
The party electoral commission was scheduled to conduct a fresh election in 84 of the 200 cells in the constituency where voting did not take place on September 4 after Col Mwesigye’s rival, Mr Wilson Kajwengye, contested the results.
Last week, the NRM Central Executive Committee resolved that a rerun be held in 84 villages. Mr Kajwengye refused to participate in the repeat election in only 26 cells that had been planned on October 6 as had been advised by President Museveni.
He claimed results from 84 villages were not genuine, adding that officials who he accused of orchestrating the initial electoral fraud on September 4, would still preside over the repeat poll.
