The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Electoral Commission has warned against the replacement of parish-level Registrars amid ongoing investigations into allegations of voter register tampering during the party’s internal elections.
Tanga Odoi, the chairperson of the NRM Electoral Commission, said the party had received reports that some Registrars were illegally striking off eligible voters and replacing them with ineligible individuals.
He described the acts as a serious breach of electoral integrity and vowed firm action against those found culpable.
"We are investigating these allegations thoroughly. If any Registrar is found guilty, they will be removed and prosecuted in accordance with the law," Odoi said during a media briefing.
Tensions have flared in several parts of the country where the intra-party elections have been marred by violence.
Incidents involving candidates, voters, and other interested parties have been reported, raising concerns over the credibility and security of the process.
Odoi also revealed that some Registrars, in clear violation of party rules, had contested in the elections they were supposed to supervise.
"That is unacceptable and undermines the fairness of the elections," he noted.
The Electoral Commission has since withheld elections in 13 parishes across Busoga, Ssembabule, and Isingiro following a spate of petitions and violent clashes.
Odoi warned that unless peace is restored in Ssembabule, the elections there could be cancelled altogether.
“We are likely to cancel elections in Ssembabule if peace resolutions are not made,” he cautioned.
The NRM Electoral Commission has pledged to resolve all remaining disputes before resuming elections in the affected areas.
The party has also come under pressure to reinforce discipline and transparency in its electoral structures at parish and sub-county levels.
Meanwhile, reports have surfaced of alleged involvement of some security personnel in the violence, further complicating the situation.
Odoi did not comment directly on the claims but reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to upholding order and party values.
The internal elections are a critical step in restructuring the NRM’s grassroots leadership ahead of the national elections.