National Resistance Movement (NRM) Workers League chairperson James Tweheyo has cautioned against electoral malpractice, vote buying, and lack of transparency as the ruling party prepares for its Central Executive Committee (CEC) elections.
Speaking on Next Big Talk on Next Radio on Tuesday, Tweheyo stressed the importance of civic education in ensuring credible internal elections — something he said is often neglected.
“Ordinarily, when conducting elections, you should provide civic education. Unfortunately, it’s often seen as ineffective,” Tweheyo said.
“We thought it was important to invite candidates to engage in open discussion.”
His remarks follow a high-level meeting convened last week by NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong and Electoral Commission chairperson Tanga Odoi at the party’s EC offices in Kyadondo.
The meeting brought together CEC aspirants to strategize ahead of the polls.
Tweheyo revealed that some individuals had printed counterfeit, non-serialized Declaration of Results (DR) forms in an attempt to rig the process.
“No village in this country had the same serial numbers. But some people thought they were smarter and printed their own DR forms,” he said.
He also raised concerns about a conflict of interest in the vetting process, noting that some current CEC members — responsible for approving candidates — are also seeking re-election.
“Will they be vetting people they are competing against? And will they vet themselves?” he asked.
Tweheyo further condemned the growing commercialization of NRM’s internal elections, warning that excessive spending on votes rarely yields political value.
“Some still feel they must pay to get votes. Our elections have been so commercialized, but I don’t think those who spend heavily will gain much from it,” he said.
He urged members to treat elections as a long-term process and prioritize unity to avoid post-election divisions that could hurt the party in national polls.
“In some areas, our candidates lose not because we lack supporters, but because our people disagree and hate each other,” he noted.
The NRM is currently preparing for its internal elections, including the closely watched race for positions on the CEC — the party’s topmost decision-making organ.