Kampala — The National Resistance Movement (NRM) primary elections will hopefully end this weekend with repeat polls. There is no doubt that the party faced challenges in organising the elections, but the shortcomings should be used as a learning point by all those interested in smooth general elections next year.

The challenges in the NRM elections were inevitable considering the huge number of positions available and the party's decision to fill them through adult suffrage. It is no mean feat filling 87,000 positions on the same day - 57,000 positions for LC1 chairpersons, 4,400 parish chairpersons, 1,050 LC3s, 112 district chairpersons and 350 flag bearers for Members of Parliament. With so many candidates vying, some would inevitably apply desperate means to try to gain victory.

We should therefore, use these elections to ensure next years general elections are free and fair. The EC must have keenly followed the NRM electoral process, noticed the weaknesses and will use these to strengthen its own systems to ensure better organised general elections.

The other lesson is the level of vigilance demonstrated by the NRM voters. They tracked down and intercepted or promptly reported any cases of malpractice no matter the personality involved. This means that Ugandan voters can no longer be taken for granted or intimidated. The EC should therefore, intensify civic education to empower the population to guard against vote stealing.

It is also now clear that it is the candidates and not the ordinary people that are responsible for election chaos. Strong measures including disqualification should, therefore, be taken against candidates involved in election fraud.

Coming six months early, the NRM elections, therefore, provide an opportunity to have better organised and free and fair general elections next year.