Kampala — Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo has petitioned the party's electoral body, demanding a fresh election for NRM parliamentary elections flag bearer in the constituency."As far as I know, I am the winner and the MP for Lwemiyaga.

The elections were rigged with impunity and everybody witnessed this. The party's electoral body should handle my petition immediately otherwise something might happen," he warned.

The MP said both the police and agents from the Internal Security Organisation who were deployed in Sembabule ahead of the election "saw what happened" in the election in which Mr Patrick Nkalubo was declared winner.

"How could the NRM party Electoral Commission announce that Mr Nkalubo has defeated me with a difference of 43 votes yet I won with a deference of 300 votes?" he asked.

Mr Ssekikubo has been locked in battles with the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Sam Kutesa, with each accusing the other of causing havoc in the district.

MP Ssekikubo yesterday accused Mr Kutesa of being behind schemes to have him rigged out. "There was ballot stuffing and some of the ballot papers were burnt. I have evidence to that effect. We shall win all the same," he said.

The legislator is scheduled to hold a press conference today at Parliament.

But Mr Kutesa was celebrating his victory as the NRM flag bearer for neighbouring Mawogola County.

Mr Kutesa, who is also the district NRM chairman for Sembabule, said his victory and that of his close allies, who won the elections in NRM primaries at the district and parish level, will consolidate the party. He urged the people of Sembabule to bury their differences and unite to develop the district.

"We have no winner and no vanquished. This has been an internal political battle between brothers and sisters in the NRM but now that it is over, the remaining task is to put behind our differences and we support the party flag bearers," Mr Kutesa said. But Mr Ssekikubo said he is not interested in the reconciliation initiatives.

Meanwhile, the Woman MP for Tororo District, Ms Grace Oburu, has also petitioned the party's electoral body, calling for a nullification of the elections. She said ever since the elections were conducted on August 31, results have not been declared.