The contestant in the concluded NRM primaries for the National Female Youth Member of Parliament, Mercy Kanyesigye, has rejected the claims by the NRM party election team that the youth election she participated in was free and fair.
Kanyesigye, the youth chairperson of Lyantonde district, speaking to the media in Kampala and accompanied by some of the youth, stated that the election was marred by malpractice and irregularities brought in by external forces and others she described as mafias.
She commended the youth who stood firm and voted for her despite serious intimidation and discrimination, where some were denied their facilitation.
She said that RDs and some officials from the NRM party secretariat illegally involved themselves in this election to the extent of pulling out her voters from her line to her opponent.
She said that such election malpractice, intimidation, and bribery of voters discourage youth from participating in elections.
In the race, she contested with five other youths, including Daina Ampaire, who was declared the winner with 1912 votes (58.6%); Gold Ikyiriza with 41 votes; Susan Katusiime, who got 21 votes; Sandra Chebet, who got 12; and Oliva Kobusingye, who got 7 votes, while Mercy Kanyesigye got 1262 (38.9%).
She, however, refused to take the matter to the NRM party tribunal to seek justice unless she was being pushed hard by her voters.
Kanyesigye asked the chairman of the NRM party, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, to institute investigations into the irregularities that marred the youth elections and take action to stop the injustices being promoted by some of the NRM party officials.
