By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has been accused of using government programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) to bribe voters and pave way for their victory in the local council and other forthcoming elections in Uganda.
The FDC president, Patrick Oboi Amuriat alleges that they have got intelligence information that NRM wants to exploit PDM to distribute to voters during LC elections.
“NRM leaders are moving across the country discriminately distributing money under the guise of the PDM some of which will certainly end up in the campaigns,” Amuriat said.
He said such attempts will fail government programs which are meant to improve individual livelihoods and household income.
Few weeks ago, the electoral commission chairperson, Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama denied having released the roadmap for local council and women’s council elections stating that it was a prototype (internal document) released in error. He said the commission will issue electoral roadmap at a later time when resources required to hold these elections are available.
Nonetheless, FDC alleges that this is a gimmick by the commission to create confusion and disarray within opposition political parties and disable them from preparing for the elections.
“The commission may be in games meant to take political parties in opposition by surprise inorder to favour the ruling NRM party,”FDC alleged.
They demanded that Byabakama immediately release a clear and unambiguous roadmap for local council elections and desist from playing “Ping Pong” and allow conducive environment for all political parties to freely operate.
