The National Resistance Movement (NRM) held their Primary Elections today on the 4th September 2020. Some polls have been postponed because of the election violence between the candidates in the constituencies. That is not new, but it is between family members of the President and his nearest in-laws. Who are fighting for the next generation, who wants their next of kin in office.
What we can see as the Primaries have been going on. They are letting candidates be elected with polls in lines. There is no social distancing, masks or any other efforts of Coronavirus or COVID-19 Guidelines.
The Presidential Directives on gatherings, distancing and masks are down the drain. It isn’t important at all. The candidates and the NRM operatives are not following these. Neither, is the state sanctioning the party. They are even seeing violence between the candidates and trying to investigate after the melee. That is why there is reported of 4 deaths and more injured in various of districts.
The ones who voted for the Age Limit and OTT Taxes have in many places been hit and lost their seat. The incumbents MPs who did this and the Ministers have lost seats. Their choices in office has cost them. The electorate is remembering that and sending these folks out of office.
If NRM thinks this show their greatness, their pan-African and anti sectarian attitude. The NRM shows the opposite here. It shows their greed, their use of all methods to win and their lack of respect of the electorate. They are willing to use them and cheat to get ahead.
Not that any of this is new. The NRM has filled with this in the past. The same happens every single time. The new is the standing in line and not following COVID-19 Guidelines. The Police isn’t interfering or contributing to the violence. That is something it would have done, if this was done by any opposition or dissidents of the ruling regime. They would have shut-down the exercise and silenced it quickly with tear-gas, arrests and live-bullets.
What we are seeing is that some of the old heads are taken out. Also, that the NRM is ushering in their next generation. As the kin of the leaders are introduced like in the Kampala Central MP race, Cedric Babu has become the NRM Flagbearer to compete in that race. Just like Kuteesa¨s daughter and Museveni¨s son too. There are enough issues ahead, but shows the signs of a pattern here.
There will be more, as the postponement of some primaries will be returned. The deals have to either made behind closed doors or not. Just like reports of Beti Kamya paid of Singh Katangole 550m UGX for securing the Rubaga North. Wouldn’t be shocked if there was more deals like this behind closed doors. Where the documentation wasn’t out in the open.
That is also a very vital part of these elections. It is about ensuring your time to eat. So, that you have your slot, your seat and your money-bag from 2021. That is why its such a high reward for the risk of running in these elections.
The NRM Primaries are filled with irregularities, violence and use of force. They are always like that. That is why people are dying so some folks can secure power.
The NRM have in their slogan the word “Unity”. However, these elections are unifying, but showing a sign, which they shouldn’t be proud of. This is not the fault of the NRM Electoral Commission, but a party culture that been running rampant for years. That is the commercialization of the politics, the cost of operation and the price of losing. This is why the NRM is operating like this and with the risks of self-destruction at places too.
As they flaunts guidelines, social distancing and doesn’t safeguard the voting public. While holding rallies, polls and political meetings in the middle of global pandemic. Surely, the results of this will be more spread of COVID-19 and the state will pay that price.
What was the main lesson of today: The NRM Primaries is a circus, just another one compared to the ones in 2015. Peace.