By KT Reporter
The Electoral Commission of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has been challenged to reconsider the idea of conducting joint campaigns for its primary elections, to save its membership from permanent disagreements that may arise from political competitions.
The NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson, Tanga Odoi, directed that all aspirants for the party flag in the same leadership position should stand on the same platform to solicit support before members can choose the best candidate through an open voting system.
In his justification, Tanga Odoi stated that the joint campaigns would reduce campaign costs and help maintain cohesion within the party, because they provide an opportunity to prevent hate speech among candidates.
However, in various parts of the country, the idea has failed, and candidates ditched it for individual mobilisation meetings, after they failed to control their tempers and their enthusiastic supporters.
Mudashiruh Bbaale, the Chairperson of the Masaka district Persons With Disability League, also NRM Vice Chairperson for Kyesiiga sub county, want the party to rescind the idea, arguing that it is no longer an ideal model of conducting campaigns in Uganda’s heated political situations.
He observes that in Uganda, political competitions have become highly contentious encounters between candidates and their supporters, saying that they can hardly share the same campaign platforms without chaos.
For instance, in Masaka district, Bbaale reveals that various attempts to conduct joint campaigns failed as aspirants moved ahead of the party’s district administrators and are deliberately organising individual meetings where they address the targeted members.
“The idea of joint campaigns is just imaginary, and the party should withdraw it, because it is evident that people are already fighting, and this will leave far-reaching consequences for the party. Let people campaign separately and the party later convenes reconciliation meetings after the election, instead of creating situations that can lead to physical fighting,” he says.
He cautions the party against forcing the joint campaigns on the candidates, fearing that it may result in unwanted political violence, to their disadvantage.
Bbaale has appealed to the party’s top leadership to always consult with its branches to avoid instances of creating clashes between adopted policies and the real practices.
Fred Kalema Pax, one of the aspirants for the NRM flag for the Bukoto East MP seat, observed that the idea is partly frustrated by some party leaders who are biased against some candidates.
He indicates that in such circumstances of unfairness by some party leaders, some aspirants are compelled to conduct individual mobilisation meetings to neutralise the biases.
Hajj Umar Ssebulime, the Masaka district NRM Registrar, confirms that it has been difficult for them to organise joint campaigns, especially for aspirants for Member of Parliament and L.CV Chairperson flag bearers, as aspirants preferred to operate on separate mobilisation programs.
He says they are going to write a formal report about their observations and submit it to the party’s top authorities, to inform future decisions.
Notably, the demand for withdrawal of joint campaigns in the NRM comes in the wake of violent clashes that were witnessed in Lwemiyaga and Mawogola West constituencies in Sembabule district, where candidates and supporters fought even before the commencement of campaigns for the party primaries.
A similar incident was also witnessed in Isingiro district, where several vehicles were burnt, and people sustained injuries in NRM internal competition clashes-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
