DP cancels Masaka party grassroots elections results

By Wilson Kamukono

The Democratic Party has cancelled the results of internal elections held in Masaka last week. The cancellation was announced by the DP national organizing secretary Sulaiman Sserwadda Kidandala.

The DP national organizing secretary is mandated by the part constitution to oversee internal party elections.

Kidandala said that the exercise was conducted in total defiance of an earlier circular his office had issued stopping the exercise.

This came after numerous party members petitioned Kidandala complaining about gross irregularities that marred the exercise at the start including using uncertified voters registers.

While delivering the newly printed electoral materials to party leaders in Masaka on Wednesday, Kidandala said fresh elections will commence on Thursday, February 13.

“The decision to cancel the exercise was taken by NEC not me as an individual and am surprised that some people adamantly went ahead with the exercise. I wish to inform the party members that all those who benefited from the fraud exercise will not be gazetted as party leaders at any level,” he added.

Masaka Municipality constituency legislator Mathias Mpuuga said that the first materials that were dispatched were recalled and it was against the law to insist and go on with exercise that had been stopped.

Mpuuga said that the district leadership led by Masaka Democratic Party leadership was in a hurry to organize elections saying that this raised suspicion among party members which prompted them to petition the party organizing secretary.

Francis Kimuli, the DP Bukoto East constituency chairperson, said he followed the directive by the party organizing secretary stopping the grassroots elections though he  was criticized by many members.

He handed over the party the electoral materials that were given to him, before collecting new materials that were delivered by the party organizing secretary.

Masaka municipality constituency chairperson Bone Kasujja, welcomed the decision by Kidandala to give them electoral materials to conduct fresh elections.

Kasujja, said that they were overwhelmed by the mass irregularities that covered the canceled elections which he said had created divisionism among party members.

Article 33 section (e) of DP empowers the office of the party organizing secretary to organize, grassroots party elections, formulate party registers and supervises elections at all levels among other roles.