Evidence is littered all over political campaigns with what the electoral commission refers to as voter fraud – concealed as voter facilitation or donations by politicians.
The 28th July Soroti East by-election has yet provided another opportunity for the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to openly rent and buy support for their candidate.
Mr Moses Attan of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and Mr Herbert Edmund Ariko of (NRM) formerly independent are the major contenders in the race. Note that the National Unity Platform (NUP) will not be fronting a candidate but has chosen to support the FDC candidate for the good of opposition- that’s according to the press release by Mr Joel Senyonyi the NUP spokesperson.
The seat fell vacant after the Court of Appeal cancelled Mr Attan’s victory on account that the Electoral Commission (EC) had not properly demarcated boundaries within the constituency.
It’s a political ritual for a political party to vehemently drum up support for their candidate(s). However, the NRM seems to overstep the procedures set by the electoral commission on how campaigns should be done.
From flaunting the campaign programs to intimidation of voters with the help of state equipments. In addition to that is the open day voter bribery by the ruling party through giving cash, assortments to health centres, schools and at times individuals in these constituencies where a (by-) Election is yet to take place.
On Sunday, the Minister for Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng flanked by the state Minister for Economic Monitoring in the office of the president, Peter Ogwang, Soroti City West MP Jonathan Ebwalu and the Soroti East NRM candidate used the Soroti by-election campaigns to deliver an assortment of medical supplies such as mattresses, bed sheets, blankets, and oxygen cylinders in Soroti to 3 health centres namely; Moru Apesur HC3, Kichijanji HC3, and Opuyo HC2. Each health centre received 10 items of the following; mattresses, blankets, and bed sheets while Soroti Regional Referral Hospital received 100 blankets and 100 bed sheets. Whilst there may be the need for these items, it’s against the EC laws for candidates or their campaign agents to engage in tokening items or making ‘pledges’ during political campaigns in exchange for votes.
Hon Dr Aceng while handing over these items accompanied them with partisan commentaries and more political promises to the voters on condition they vote for the NRM candidate. She promised all wards in Soroti East to get health centres. Yet she has not delivered the same to Lira City where she doubles as Lira City Member of Parliament in addition to her ministerial position and seniority in the field of health. Of course, she left room for the president to make more of those promises when he joins the NRM flag bearer for ‘final touches’ as usual.
As the NRM pledges made in the recently concluded Omoro County by-election pile on many others made before, the party is not hesitant to make more promises.
Ugandans are bamboozled by these endless promises and ‘gifts’ during campaigns by the NRM. Voters are quickly abandoned after elections regardless of the eventual winner until the next by-election or election cycle.
At times, the president makes pledges at rallies he once made some time back while canvassing for votes in the same constituency. Reminding him about the unfulfilled pledge(s) only paves way for another opportunity to pledge more promising all pledges will be fulfilled if the voters sent him his NRM candidate. His ministers have chosen to follow in the same footsteps.
Election pledges without guarantee of their feasibility undermine democracies and election integrity because leaders especially those in Africa only capitalise on them as a winning assist. This too should be considered an Electoral fraud especially when pledges are not fulfilled.
Electoral fraud is any manipulation of electoral laws to which campaigns aren’t exceptional. Courts are currently constrained by a backlog of similar petitions revolving around voter fraud by politicians against each other. The process of litigation and eventual disposal takes time, and resources, and deprives other citizens of getting justices as courts handle election petitions. Voters also miss out on effective representation and service delivery by their leaders.
Voter bribery is equivalent to voter suppression because the will and independence of voters are usurped. Vote rigging begins with voter bribery and pledges during campaigns while voter intimidation lays the basis for voter assault in case the electorate resists being manipulated.
The same voters bare the limitation to service delivery and effective representation by leaders who buy their way to political positions with small tokens as low as 500/= and unrealistic ‘pledges’. Such leaders are incapable of fighting graft, poor governance and human rights abuses.
Voter buying is purely an economic exchange where a voter sells their exclusive rights to the highest bidder. This precedes other related election evils like voter intimidation, assault and incarceration of opponents to secure victory for(by) the highest bider.
Voter assault is common in (by-) Elections where the ruling party hasn’t been received warmly on account voter bribery has failed to achieve the desired hopes.
Governments in Africa will continue to spend extra money on lawsuits arising from electoral fraud-related incidents in addition to the costly by-elections.
It’s therefore prudent government becomes exemplary in abiding by the set Election laws and rules of procedure set by the EC and all other laws of the land.
Political campaigns are a platform for the contestation of social-political and economic ideologies but not a marketplace for vote(r) transactions or brutality.
Concerned Citizen
jpkamwada@gmail.com
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