The NRM National Treasurer Hon. Amb. Barbara Nekesa Oundo has castigated some media reports that allege that the ruling party is planning to sell party flags to aspiring candidates during primary elections from presidential to village positions.
On Tuesday 15th April, the NRM Secretary General, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong issued a list of nomination fees to aspirants intending to contest at every position. The guidelines stipulate that the presidential flagbearer aspirants will pay 20 million, 3 million for Members of Parliament and 1.5 Million for those interested in the position of the Lord Mayor. The LCV chairperson, district councillor and division mayor aspirants will part ways with 1 million each.
In her response yesterday during an induction meeting with NRM District Election Officers at party election offices at plot 13, Kyadondo, Hon. Amb. Nekesa said, “We are not selling flags. I don’t know what some media houses intend to achieve in all this, because this is the highest level of misinformation.”
“It is even an international practice that politicians and leaders must contribute a certain sum to the party treasury. We have also adopted this within our party. And very much so, it is to encourage our members to also contribute to the politics within the party,” Nekesa said.
She challenged those she termed as naysayers to look at other political parties across the continent, even the world.
“It is the membership faithful that contribute to the activities of the party. But once in an election cycle, we require our leaders to contribute a fee to the politics of the party but if the naysayers (some journalists) want more justifications, they should be told that the NRM leadership after primary elections takes over the flag bearer by clearing the nomination fees and some initial facilitation for campaigns.
“We contribute to their campaign costs. We have a fee that we send to our flag bearers at various positions, “so we are not selling any flag in any way.”
He asked the NRM leaders to correct the media impression that “we are selling the NRM flags because that is propaganda that is aimed at tarnishing our brand.”
“Those are not our methods of work. This is a standard policy, a standard procedure which we have done over the years, but just to encourage our leaders to contribute to the politics of the party. But in the end, this money is given back to the same leaders, Nekesa said.
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