The extension of Local Council One, Local Council Two, and Women’s Council elections has left Forum for Democratic Change President Patrick Amuriat deeply dissatisfied, casting a shadow of unhappiness over the Electoral Commission (EC).
During a press conference held at the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi on Monday, Amuriat expressed his frustration with the delayed elections, asserting that the postponement is causing inconvenience to citizens eagerly awaiting the results.
He emphasised the importance of conducting elections on schedule to enable elected representatives to commence their work for the betterment of their communities. Timely execution is now of utmost importance.
Amuriat addressed concerns over the actions of the National Electoral Commission in relation to the long-overdue elections for LCI, LCII, and Women’s Councils, citing that the EC initially claimed a lack of funds as the reason for the delay. However, after several postponements, the EC released what seemed to be an election roadmap, only to retract it, deeming it an internal document released in error.
Amuriat raised suspicions about the EC’s intentions, suggesting that these manoeuvres may be designed to catch opposition parties off guard in favour of the ruling National Resistance Movement party. He cautioned that such tactics could lead to confusion and disarray within opposition political parties, hindering their preparations for the upcoming elections.
“To us, it looks like the National Electoral Commission may be engaged in games meant to take political parties in the opposition by surprise in order to favour the ruling NRM party. These manoeuvres aim to create confusion and disarray within opposition political parties and make it difficult for us to prepare for the elections adequately,” he said.
Furthermore, Amuriat expressed concerns that the EC might intend to hold these elections as a surprise, aligning with the ruling party’s interests, as they have done before. He also mentioned intelligence information suggesting that the NRM plans to use the Parish Development Model (PDM) to distribute money to voters during these elections, a move he believes could undermine the integrity of these programs and democracy.
Amuriat called upon the Electoral Commission to promptly release a clear and unambiguous election roadmap and urged the EC to ensure a fair and level playing field for all political parties and candidates.
“In light of these concerns, we call upon the Electoral Commission to immediately release a clear and unambiguous roadmap for these elections. We urge the Electoral Commission to desist from playing “Ping-Pong” and to provide a level playing field for all political parties and candidates,” he warned.
It is worth noting that in April of this year, EC Chairman Justice Simon Byabakama informed the parliamentary committee on legal affairs that the election of LC 1 and LC 2 chairpersons was postponed to the next financial year due to a lack of funds. The current term for LC 1 and LC 2 across the country was set to expire in July, but the commission, despite earlier budgeted plans, had not received the necessary funding to conduct the elections during the financial year.
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