“Members of the ruling National Resistance Movement who contested and failed in the previous party primary elections have formed an association to stop future ‘sham elections. The association dubbed Action for Transformation and Sustainable Development also seeks to help members recover from the loss and strategize for the 2026 election” (Gerald Matembu – ‘NRM losers form Association to stop electoral malpractice’ 13.10.2021, Nile Post).
We are used too that National Resistant Movement aspirants or members who loses their primaries stands as “independents”. That is very common with this party and is common at the last elections. The NRM Electoral Commission haven’t been able to handle or had the manpower to secure it either. Neither does the party suspend or sends letter of expulsion to the former aspirants either. Therefore, today’s new association is really inspiring.
This must be insulting to the Chairman, the NRM Central Executive Committee and the NRM EC. All of the heads who vouch for the system and has created it this way. The President and every single Minister must feel insulted. They have all been elected through the system.
These are the new stock of NRM Rebels and that’s not the ‘Correct Line’. With that in mind, we can wonder what is the next step? What will they do? How will they plea or have their cases heard?
Not like Secretary General Richard Todwong will have a listen. He is a loyal cadre of the President and cannot handle this. This man will not accept the scrutiny or allegations. The former SG Justine Kasule-Lumumba was hostile towards to the NRM EC Chairman Dr. Tanga Odoi. The internal elections has been an issue, but not properly resolved.
What is striking is that this is happening after NRM Primaries was held with voting in line. They were standing behind the candidate they did prefer. Now the aspirants are saying this isn’t fair. Which is striking, since this was changed between the 2015 and 2020 after wishes of the President. They are saying his voting system isn’t fair. That must infuriate him when he gets the call or the memo.
We were plenty of outsiders saying this and called it the ‘Art of Peer Pressure’ as it was a clear signal of popularity and not a secret ballot. This was clear from the get-go, but the aspirants accept this school-yard way of challenging the polls. So, in their regards its a bit late. They can hope for a better way of running it next time. However, that is all up to the President and the NRM CEC. Peace.