A group of frustrated youth aspirants have petitioned President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, demanding his urgent intervention to guarantee a free and fair National Resistance Movement (NRM) youth election process. The petition comes after widespread allegations of bribery, manipulation of registers, and smuggling of non-delegates into the voting process.
In their statement, the aspirants outlined a seven-point request to the Head of State, calling for transparency and order in the hotly contested polls.
Key Demands
The youths want all elections for National Female Youth MP, Regional MPs, and other leagues to be conducted in State House under strict supervision.
They further asked that President Museveni personally presides over these elections to ensure fairness and restore credibility.
If voting at State House is not possible, the aspirants propose that verification of delegates be carried out at entry points by three security organs—ISO, CMI, and SFC—together with representatives from each candidate. Every delegate, they say, must present a valid ID matching the official register, with administrators cross-checking those who missed accreditation cards.
Voting should be conducted openly during daytime hours to prevent manipulation and the infiltration of non-delegates.
The youths also demand that only accredited delegates be allowed inside the election arena, excluding administrators and ushers, whom they accuse of being used to illegally influence voting.
They propose district-by-district voting inside the arena to control numbers, avoid confusion, and prevent delegates from jumping queues.
Finally, the aspirants want Dr. Tanga Odoi, the NRM Electoral Commission chairperson, to step aside and allow a new commissioner to oversee the youth elections, citing bias and compromise.
Background
The NRM youth elections have recently been marred by controversy, with accusations of bribery, irregular accreditation, and the involvement of non-delegates. Several aspirants claim that powerful individuals are attempting to impose preferred candidates through unfair means, undermining the party’s democratic image.
The petition signals growing discontent among young party members, who warn that unless the process is sanitized, the credibility of the elections and the future of the party’s youth structures will be at stake.
