Some losers vow to run as Independents..

A major political fallout within the ruling party is feared, following the countrywide chaos, vote rigging and confusion that dogged this week's primary elections.

Elections in 16 districts were postponed to September 4, 2010 either because the electoral materials arrived late, didn't arrive at all, or because the ballot papers were found to be fewer than the registered voters.

Where elections were held, the organisation was far from satisfactory.

In various interviews with The Observer, some NRM officials said this high level of disorganisation, coupled with incidents of rigging in some areas, could cost the party in the 2011 general elections as disgruntled supporters might choose to back opposition and independent candidates.

In the same vein, these officials predict that defeated candidates in the NRM primaries, who feel that they were cheated, could embrace the opposition.

"We have to go through a deep political forensic audit and carry out a special investigation. Otherwise there are deep rifts which I think will not be healed quickly," Capt Mike Mukula, the NRM vice chairman for eastern Uganda, told The Observer on Tuesday.

Mukula added that because many people had invested a lot of money, energy and resources in the elections, they will become disenchanted if they feel they are unfairly defeated.

Maj Gen Jim Muhwezi, the former minister of Health and NRM chairman for Rukungiri, told us that the flaws that marred the elections should be a cause of great concern and deep reflection for the party.

"It calls for reorganising ourselves so that we can organise better elections," he said.

Muhwezi reported that in Rujumbura, voting materials were poorly packed and mixed up.

Emmanuel Dombo, the MP for Bunyole County in Butaleja district, said that many NRM candidates have vowed to run as independents or to support opposition candidates if they are rigged out in the party primaries.

"If the party is not delivering justice, what do you expect us to do?" Dombo asked.

Elections in Butaleja were postponed to Wednesday after Dombo's camp and that of Dorothy Hyuha, the minister without Portfolio, accused each other of masterminding election malpractices.

Some NRM supporters have already come out to say that they will campaign on an independent platform. One of them is Peter Claver Mutuluza, the incumbent MP for Mawokota North, who says that he sees no point contesting in the primaries when the political ground is unfairly skewed in favour of his opponent, Amelia Kyambadde, President Museveni's former principal private secretary.

"It is that unfairness that forces us to look at other ways of achieving our political goals," Mutuluza said, maintaining that he is still committed to the NRM.

A major revolt within the ruling party's support base is not something the NRM would want at this material time.

Mukula proposed that the party's central executive committee convenes an emergency meeting to resolve the crisis.

Felistus Magomu, acting chairperson of NRM's Electoral Commission, told The Observer on Tuesday that disciplinary action will be taken against members found guilty of electoral malpractices.

"In other words, all the members who perpetuated the malpractices are to be paraded before the disciplinary committee," Magomu said.

ADULT SUFFRAGE

Some officials have said that the party did not prepare sufficiently for elections under the adult suffrage system which it had hoped would wipe out the election malpractices experienced under the Electoral College system.

Capt Francis Babu, a former minister and an aspiring parliamentary candidate for Kampala Central, said the adult suffrage system was hurriedly adopted without engaging in wide-ranging consultations.

"I agree that the electoral college has its problems but this [adult suffrage] is worse. For instance in Kampala, opposition supporters are getting ready to vote for weak candidates and it will not be easy to detect them," Babu said.

Magomu admitted that they were overwhelmed by the new system.

"You need to understand that we have 60,000 polling stations. That is twice the number of the national polling stations, but we shall improve," she said.

Magomu expressed shock that some candidates had gotten hold of the ballot papers days before the polling day. She suspects that youth hired to pack the election materials might have been compromised by some people.

Chaos, drama

In Sembabule district where elections were postponed due to lack of materials, Lwemiyaga MP, Theodore Ssekikubo accused Foreign Affairs minister, Sam Kutesa of engaging in dirty tricks.

"It is Kutesa's car UAA 749, a double cabin that ran away with the ballot papers. He is the one who loaded those materials. It was his personal assistant, one Mugabi and Agaba Ninsiima who were last seen loading those materials," Ssekikubo said.

Brushing off Ssekikubo's allegations, Kutesa told The Observer in a lengthy interview that the ballot papers had disappeared mysteriously and he had nothing to do with it.

"The new returning officer who has just been appointed told me this morning that he went to Masaka to pick up the election materials and all he found for Sembabule were just voters' registers," Kutesa said.

In Wakiso, the Vice President, Gilbert Bukenya blamed the NRM Secretariat for the mess.

"Even the materials they have sent are not enough and the presiding officers are being told to use exercise books as ballot papers. These are serious organisational problems," Bukenya told journalists after casting his vote in Kakiri.

In Hoima Municipality, Dr Patrick Mwesigwa Isingoma accused his rival, Henry Muganwa Kajura, the 2nd Deputy Premier and Public Service minister, of massive rigging.

"I protest the results because there are massive irregularities. I have directed all my agents not to sign on the declaration forms," Isingoma told journalists.

In the newly created Buvuma District, voters were treated to free drama when the area MP, William Nsubuga, snatched the ballot papers and threw them in a nearby lake. According to Sande Nsubuga, a councillor, the MP who was suspicious of the electoral committee, tore the ballot papers in Mubale village, Bugaya parish, before throwing them in the lake. Nsubuga accused the electoral officials of inefficiency and to have been compromised by his opponent, Robert Miggade.

In Kampala Central, one of the contestants, Fred Bamwine, claimed that ballots were being sold on the streets like newspapers.

In Mityana, riot police was deployed after the situation threatened to turn violent. Angry voters surrounded the returning officer, Faith Tumwebaze, demanding to know why the materials were taking long to arrive. It took the intervention of the NRM national vice chairman, Al-Hajj Moses Kigongo, to calm tempers.

"Be patient, everything will be sorted out," Kigongo told the voters.

In Mukono, Police arrested two people in connection with election malpractices. Yusuf Njubi and Elijah Wasswa, both residents of Katosi landing site, were found with a ballot box containing 1,575 ballot papers ticked in favour of the Mukono LC-V chairman, Francis Lukooya Mukoome. But Lukooya, addressing journalists, said that his opponents in the district led by Mukono South MP, Janat Mukwaya were behind the ballot stuffing meant to soil his image.

Following the disorganisation in Mbale, the district LC-V boss, Bernard Mujasi, told journalists that as a leading party in the country, they needed to have shown clearly what democracy is. He said: "We must have the internal preparation and moral justification to exhibit democracy and ensure it is seen at work in the country," he said.

"But where voters' materials are inadequate, ballot papers are already in the streets, we should not deceive ourselves that we have democracy." Reporting by Edris Kiggundu, Hussein Bogere, Shifa Mwesigye, Lydia Nabayego

VOTED IN

• Jim Muhwezi (Rujumbura)
• Lubega Kaddunabbi (Butambala)
• Namirembe Bitamazire (Butambala Woman)
• James Kakooza (Lyantonde)
• Richard Todwong (Nwoya)
• Jacob Oulanyah (Omoro Country)
• Beatrice Lagada (Oyam)
• Amama Mbabazi (Kinkizi West)
• Mike Mukula (Soroti)
• Saleh Kamba (Kibuku County)
• Jacob Oboth Oboth (West Budama)
• Seezi Mbaguta (Rukungiri)
• Betty Bigombe (Amuru Woman)
• Winfred Masiko (Ruhinda)
• Savior Ogena (Oyam North)
• Henry Okello Oryem (Chua)
• Hilary Onek (Lamwo)
• Jovino Akaki Oyumu (Maruzi)
• Tony Ayo (Kwania)
• Fred Opolot (Kasilo)
• Beatrice Wabudeya (Budadiri West)
• Henry Kajura (Hoima Municipality)
• David Wakikona (Manjiya)

VOTED OUT

• Moses Ali (Moyo East)
• Emmanuel Otaala
• Janat Namuyangu
• Jessica Eriyo (Ajumani Woman)
• Beatrice Byenkya (Hoima Woman)
• James Nsaba Buturo (Bufumbira East)
• Simon Ejua
• Simon D'ujanga
• Alex Kamugisha (Rujumbura)
• Pereza Ahabwe
• Aggrey Bagiire