The Democratic Party (DP) is facing internal turmoil ahead of its National Delegates Conference, slated for later this month in Mbarara City.
Richard Lumu, the Deputy Legal Advisor of DP and an aspirant for the position of Secretary General, has expressed concerns over the non-disclosure of the list of delegates eligible to vote.
Speaking at a joint media press conference, Lumu emphasized that a credible election requires a clear and publicly available voters' register.
"The continuous concealment of the list of delegates is creating suspicion, hence tasking the Election Management Committee to immediately release the list for scrutiny and validation," he said.
Lumu also raised concerns about the neutrality of some aspirants participating in the nomination verification exercise.
"We have observed that some of our opponents are actively participating in the nomination verification exercise, something that violates the principles of neutrality and casts doubt on the entire process," he stated.
The MP further alleged that the party is concealing the academic credentials of some aspirants, undermining the fairness of the exercise.
"The Party is concealing the academic credentials of some of the aspirants, something that is undermining the fairness of the exercise," Lumu said.
Lumu also claimed that some nominated candidates did not pay the required nomination fees, tasking the treasurer to provide an accountability of all payments.
"We have gotten evidence that some of the nominated candidates did not pay the nomination fees as required by rules, tasking the treasurer to provide an accountability of all the payments," he emphasized.
In response, Kennedy Mutenyo, Chairperson of the Election Management Committee, dismissed Lumu's claims as baseless and lacking facts.
The controversy surrounding the DP elections highlights the need for transparency and fairness in the electoral process.
As the party prepares for its National Delegates Conference, it remains to be seen how these concerns will be addressed and whether the elections will be conducted in a free and fair manner.