Uganda: Preaching Against Vote Rigging Key On Our National Tours Gospel - National Unity Platform

31 August 2023

The National Unity Platform say that among the issues currently creaming their National Tour Gospel that Ugandans need to open their eyes to is vote rigging.

Joel Ssenyonyi, the party's spokesperson while speaking to Nile Post asserted that the current warm welcome so far exhibited in Mbarara, Fort Portal and Kasese is a sign of the change that the electorates have always expected but ended up not realizing due to an obvious circumstance which is vote-rigging.

"We've always said that the ultimate remedy to vote rigging, and dictatorship generally is the people. The people have to rise up and say enough is enough. The NUP Countrywide Tour is intended to rally Ugandans to wake up and say enough is enough" said Ssenyonyi.

Ssenyonyi further points a finger at the heavy security that is usually deployed during the election as the first epitome of vote rigging, then of course alleges that some actions are done behind closed doors.

"You all saw videos of military officers ticking ballot papers at polling stations in the 2021 general elections. These people are not even sophisticated, they operate like they did while in the bush!" alleges Ssenyonyi.

Vote Rigging Allegations in Ugandan Electoral Processes

Vote rigging and claims of unfair electoral processes have always headlined the complaints of presidential election losers in Uganda, starting with the current regime in power, the NRM government.

In the 1980 elections, DP lost to UPC but UPM which had not even scooped 10% of the votes claimed vote rigging and threatened they would go to the bush

In the 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016 presidential elections, Dr Kizza Besigye, Museveni' once ally but later a strong rival always alleged vote rigging, an issue he even raised in the 2015 presidential candidates' debate. Besigye would even petition the Supreme Court over the matter.

After the recent 2021 General elections, the National Unity Platform also alleged widespread vote rigging that saw them garner 35.8% of total votes while the incumbent President Museveni scooped 58.3%.

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