By Agaba Brian
Kampala
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 who is the youth chairperson of Lyantonde district while speaking to the media in kampala and accompanied by some of the youth, said that the election was full of malpractice and irregularities brought in by eternal 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 NRM party secretariat illegally involve this election to the extent of pulling out of her voters from her line to her opponent.
She said that such election malpractice, intimidation, and bribing voters discourages youth from participating in elections.
In the race, she contested with five other youth, including Daina Ampaire, who was declared the winner with 1,912 votes (58.6%), Gold Ikyiriza with 41 votes, Suzan Katusiime got 21 votes, Sandra Chebet got 12, Oliva Kobusingye with 7 votes, while Mercy Kanyesigye got 1,262 votes (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 kagutta 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.
