Opposition, NRM trade accusations over plans to rig poll

Lira- The NRM leadership in Lira District has dismissed as fabrication claims by the opposition Forum for Democratic Change that the ruling party plans to rig the February poll in favour of its candidate, Yoweri Museveni.
At a press conference held at Pacific Grand Hotel in Lira Town on Tuesday, FDC officials alleged that they knew of a ploy by the ruling party to rig the forthcoming general elections because it has reportedly become unpopular.

Mr Innocent Ayo, the FDC secretary for international and regional affairs, claimed that the intelligence the government has received is that it cannot win the February 18 election.
“It cannot, therefore, have a mandate to rule this country again through an election. What they’re now trying to do is to manipulate facts,” Mr Ayo said. However, the NRM spokesman in Lira District, Mr Jacob Ocen, dismissed the accusations as untrue. “That is a lie,” Mr Ocen, responded. He said that the fact that the ruling party sent more people to Parliament in 2011 is an indication that the NRM government is still popular.

“In 2011, NRM sent 264 people to Parliament, FDC managed only 34, DP sent 11, UPC 10, Conservative Party only one, independents were 40 and JEEMA had just one. These statistics show that NRM is still popular,” Mr Ocen told Daily Monitor on Wednesday.

FDC presidential candidate Kizza Besigye and Independent presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi have also spoken of a ploy by government to rig the elections. However, the candidate of the ruling NRM party, Mr Yoweri Museveni, also says he has learnt of the plot by the Opposition to rig elections.

At the briefing, Mr Joel Okao Otema, the FDC flag bearer for Lira Municipality seat, said they are mobilising Ugandans to ensure that they protect their votes from being stolen by the NRM.

FDC says the party will rely on a force dubbed “Power-10” to mobilise ten people per village to guard their votes on election day. They will have a direct connection with the party headquarters in Najjanakumbi, Kampala, he said.

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