By KT Reporter
Four leaders of the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) on Monday marched to the Uganda Electoral Commission (EC) offices in Kampala, demanding answers to petitions they filed over alleged irregularities in the Democratic Party (DP) internal elections that led to Norbert Mao’s presidency.
The UYD leaders, waving flags and carrying protest materials, were intercepted and brutally arrested by a joint security team of the Uganda Police Force and the UPDF after being denied access to the Electoral Commission premises for nearly 20 minutes. Before their arrest, UYD Secretary General Israeli Kiirya said the group had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the EC, demanding immediate intervention.
“We’ve submitted three petitions before and after the Mbarara DP delegates’ conference, urging Justice Simon Byabakama and the Electoral Commission not to recognize the results of the delegates’ conference, given their role in registering political parties. We’ve been demanding action to address the mismanagement within the DP leadership, but our grievances have fallen on deaf ears,” Kiirya said.
He added: “The party is on the brink of collapse, with members leaving one by one. This is our party, and we’re fighting for its integrity.” Kiirya further claimed that despite exploring other legal channels, they had lost faith in the judiciary. “We have on record DP President Norbert Mao boasting and assuring certain DP members that no one can win a case in the judiciary, which he claims to control. Indeed, recent DP cases brought against him in court have been grossly mismanaged in the High Court,” Kiirya alleged.
He argued that the Political Parties and Organizations Act empowers the Electoral Commission to act against parties that violate their own constitutions. “Our petitions fall squarely within this jurisdiction. We urge the Electoral Commission not to gazette the outcome of the Mbarara conference,” he added.
UYD President Michael Mpunge explained that they carried pumpkins to symbolize DP’s official colors, green and yellow—drawing attention to what they called the party’s decaying leadership. “Our leaders have lost their way. This is not the Democratic Party of our founding fathers that we know and cherish. We say enough is enough. We want Simon Byabakama to understand our pain. We’ll stay here until we meet with him,” Mpunge said. The group, however, was denied entry by security.
Shortly after, they were surrounded, arrested, and bundled into a police patrol van before being taken to an undisclosed police station. In response, Paul Bukenya, the Electoral Commission’s deputy spokesperson, acknowledged receiving several petitions related to the Mbarara DP delegates’ conference.
“The commission received several petitions arising from the same delegates’ conference, with petitioners demanding that the Electoral Commission not gazette the elected members. We are in communication with them, and soon they will be called in to address their issues,” Bukenya said. He urged petitioners to respect the commission’s internal processes.
“This is a matter that is before the commission for consideration. You don’t give the commission an ultimatum. We are the ones who released the road map, mobilized the stakeholders, and encouraged Ugandans to participate in the elections. We are intentional and professional in how we handle petitions brought before us, and we follow due process,” Bukenya remarked.
He added that the commission’s schedule had been crowded in recent weeks due to ongoing petition hearings related to the elections of special interest groups.
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