BUKEDEA. Speaker of Parliament Annet Anita Among is now assured of her slot in the 12th Parliament without any sweat after being declared unopposed as Bukedea District Woman Member of Parliament
The Bukedea District election office said the declaration is in accordance with Section 31(b) of the Parliamentary Elections Act.
At the close of the two-day nomination exercise on Thursday, the returning officer confirmed that no other duly nominated candidate had filed her credentials to vie for the position.
Section 31(b) of the Act provides that where only one person is duly nominated for a constituency, the returning officer shall forthwith declare that person duly elected as Member of Parliament with effect from the polling day fixed under the law.
In July, Ms Among sailed through unopposed in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries after her challenger was disqualified by the party’s Electoral Commission for not being a bona fide resident of Bukedea District.
The nomination exercise concluded amid protests from opposition parties, with Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) flagbearer Susan Norma Okedi and National Unity Platform (NUP) aspirant Florence Asio accusing the Electoral Commission of deliberately working to disenfranchise them.
Both claimed their nomination attempts were frustrated through what they called “technical and procedural delays” at the district headquarters.
Despite the objections, the Electoral Commission confirmed that only Anita Among had met all legal and procedural requirements for nomination, effectively returning her to Parliament for another term.