New MPs entrench NRM

Aug 30, 2006

NRM is now very comfortable in Parliament following its outstanding victory in the just-concluded LC5 and Woman MP elections, a party official has said.

By Joyce Namutebi

NRM is now very comfortable in Parliament following its outstanding victory in the just-concluded LC5 and Woman MP elections, a party official has said.

Deputy spokesperson Ofwono Opondo yesterday said NRM now has 217 direct MPs, besides the 23 independents who signed a memorandum with the party, giving a total of 240 MPs. He said this excluded UPDF representatives.

“We are very comfortable in Parliament,” he said, but added that the ruling party would be sensitive to the interests of the minority.

He said the Monday polls for LC5 chairmen and women MPs in the new districts had vindicated NRM from accusations that the party wins elections through fraud and bribery.

He said the accusations had been peddled by mainly FDC since February, adding that FDC had not taken any seat in districts that people thought were opposition strongholds.

NRM took Oyam, Amuru, Kotido, Buliisa, namutumba and Bukedea in the Monday polls. independents took both the district chairmanship and Woman MP seat in Dokolo.

They also won the district chairmanship for Bududa and Budaka, in addition to the Woman MP seat for Lyantonde district.

Opondo said the results also showed that the politics of NRM is correct. “Now people are able to see that the opposition do not have support,” he said.

An update from the Electoral Commission shows the winners as Oliver Wonekha who bagged 12,511 to take the Bududa Woman MP seat. Wakyaya Nabende, an independent, won the LC5 seat for Bududa.

NRM supporter Fred Nayebare was elected unopposed for the LC5 chairmanship. The Woman MP seat was taken by Grace Namara, an independent who polled 8,333 votes. In Bukedea, Sam Ebukalin (NRM) polled 17,880 votes. NRM’s Rose Okullu Akol took the Bukedea Woman MP seat.

Fred Lukumu and Beatrice Mpairwe both NRM, took the Buliisa seats while J.B. Okello Okello and Cecilia Ogwal, both independents, won the Dokolo seats. Michael Saire and Lydia Kibwika, both NRM, took the Namutumba seats.

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