FDC to lodge a petition challenging results of Soroti East by-election

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has said it will lodge a petition challenging the results of the just concluded Soroti East by-election that saw NRM’s Herbert Ariko declared the winner.

Ariko got 9,407 votes while his closest contender, Moses Attan of FDC got 8,771 votes.

The by-election was characterised by high presence of the armed forces, police and the army- and massive arrests of FDC members, including the party president, Patrick Amuriat.

There were also reports of voter bribery the day before and ballot stuffing on polling day which saw four suspects arrested.

Speaking to the media on Monday, the party’s deputy spokesperson, John Kikonyogo, noted that they are gathering evidence of the various fraudulent activities they say marred the by-election.

"The heightened election which we believe was won by FDC's Moses Attan, was marred with grave irregularities which include massive ballot staffing, voter bribery, intimidation, imprisonment by the state machinery of military RDC's and NRM's high ranking officials who personally engaged in the irregularities," he said.

He said the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama and his commissioners cannot be excluded in the whole “illegal” process where agents were arrested from the polling stations.

He explained that FDC agents and officials like Members of Parliament, mayors and elected leaders of the party were arrested together with documents meant for a smooth running of the election.

"This was under the command of the Vice President, Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament. We call upon the Uganda Human Rights Commission and the Parliament to investigate the whole election process, specifically the irregularities and arrests of FDC'S personnel on vague criminal grounds," he said.