It wasn’t only that the President graced the final rally the day before, or that the military and police used massive amount efforts to undermine the competition. No, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) had no message to send, so they had to arrest all Forum for Democratic Change Polling Stations agents and the big-shots, as they we’re not allowed to directly monitor the counting or the Return Forms from the Polling Stations. As well as we know the CCEDU are not allowed to observer the elections anymore. Therefore, the civil society and opposition was working with bent knees, while trying to run.
That the NRM won was made on the sky before the polls, as the military even took over Tally Centre before the ballots arrived to the polling stations. The talk of democracy or even level playing-field is foolish in this manner. When at the days of the polls, 20 FDC Polling Agents was arrested. These was the big-shots that was arrestd: Oddo Tayebwa and Stanley Katembeya.
To further prove the allegations. FDC MP Francis Mwijukye reported this earlier in the day:
“Police Director of Operations,Asuman Mugyenyi has ordered for the arrest of FDC leaders and agents in Sheema North where a parliamentary byelection is on going today. So far 15 leaders and 20 agents have been arrested. Meanwhile Am also surrounded here at Nyabwina primary school” (Francis Mwijukye, 08.10.2018).
When that is the case, as well as the police everywhere and the military too. The intimidation and the acts of government was made for the NRM to win. There was no other way out of this. The opposition wasn’t working together behind the candidate, which they have usually blamed FDC for their own works. So, now they left them all alone without any sympathy or putting up camp for the final week. There has been nothing from the ones talking of unity, the FDC was alone against NRM. Therefore, the ones speaking of ill of FDC’s actions in previous elections, better remember, that they have gone behind and supported other parties own candidates in By-Elections, but none gave the favor back here.
That Naome Kibaaju won wasn’t shocking with the manner this went down. If she thinks this is a whole-sum victory, she is apparently wrong. Not because the FDC lost. Any party can loose and that is justified. However, it is not justified when the tallying is done in darkness and the monitoring of the ballots has been only done by the government-friendly agents. That is easy math and shows the disgraceful acts of state.
This here saga continues. The good news is that this one didn’t end up in directly torture, forged up charges and more impunity from the state, other than the preventative arrests and the acts of intimidation. Because the NRM has no message to give the public.
The only thing make me happy, that there was no funeral because of this… there been to many dying over By-Elections and each one of them is one too many. Peace.
MinBane 