President Museveni has indefinitely suspended elections for the National Resistance Movenment (NRM) National Youth League, just hours after Collins Tanga, son of the party Electoral Commission chairperson Dr Tanga Odoi, was declared winner in a chaotic contest.
Tanga Collins was announced winner at about 5am on Wednesday, securing 1,567 votes against Brenda Kiconco’s 1,355. But the exercise was marred by running battles, disagreements over the delegates’ lists, and violent clashes between youths, security forces, and election officials.
By Wednesday morning, August 27, security forces had resorted to beating youths and party supporters in efforts to restore order at Kololo Independence Ground, the venue of the party internal elections
Mr Museveni intervened through a phone call placed on loudspeaker, halting the exercise and promising to personally oversee a repeat.
“…..The tribunal should come in and sort it out. I have told them to give you Shs500,000 to each of you so that we can have a separate conference for the youth league and entrepreneurs,” he said.
He added: “I will also be there myself. So please get out of that place so that they can prepare for the bigger conference that is coming.”
The National Youth League chairperson seat is one of six positions under the Special Interest Groups that form part of the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC), the party’s top organ. The long-awaited National Conference is scheduled to convene today, Wednesday to elect CEC leaders who will steer the ruling party for the next five years.
Entrepreneurs league polls also suspended
The youth election crisis followed a similar suspension of the Entrepreneurs League polls earlier in the week, which had also been marred by chaos and allegations of fake voters.
Dr Odoi was on Monday forced to halt that race until further notice.
The contest had drawn eight aspirants, including wealthy businessmen Hassan Basajjabalaba, proprietor of Kampala International University, and King Ceasor Mulenga, owner of King Ceasor University. Others were Phillip Kakuru Kwijuka, Shukla Mukesh, Robert Mwesigwa Rukaari, Edison Ruyondo, and Ssemwanga Gyaviira. Former MP Sanjay Tanna had earlier pulled out.