NRM to fund candidates in elections

Oct 12, 2010

THE NRM will give financial support to its candidates in next year’s elections, President Yoweri Museveni has disclosed.

By Simon Naulele

THE NRM will give financial support to its candidates in next year’s elections, President Yoweri Museveni has disclosed.

Museveni was responding to a remark by the party flag-bearer for Kaberamaido Woman MP, Mary Amajo, that they do not have enough support to fairly compete with their opposition rivals.

She explained that some of their opponents are MPs, who are using the constituency development funds to campaign.

The President was launching the NRM Campaign Task Force at KAUFO Information Centre in Katakwi town on Monday. The event was attended by over 500 delegates.

“There is weakness among NRM members of keeping quiet when they see something wrong. If you keep quiet, how will the system know? They (MPs using constituency funds) should be charged,” the President said.

MPs get sh10m every year to support community projects.

Museveni said if the matter had been brought up earlier, the party would have followed it up with the clerk to Parliament to check how MPs accounted for the money. Previous reports have indicated many MPs have not properly accounted for the money.

Museveni congratulated the NRM candidates from Teso for their victory and for trusting him by making him their national chairperson, as well as the flag-bearer in the upcoming presidential elections.

The President appealed to the party members to welcome those who defect from other parties to consolidate the party.

“Absorbing people from other sides is very important in party building as it was in building the army. Treat them as your people and do not regard them as different,” he said, adding that parties that do not recruit become weak.

Museveni assured those who lost in the primaries that the party will look into their complaints and come up with appropriate solutions.

“Those who are not happy should not panic. The answer is not to go as an independent, but to find the truth. To be an independent is to make trouble.”

He said he had set up a commission, which had so far identified 158 cases to investigate.

Museveni said the primaries involved voting, counting, tallying, declaring and recording. He said the problem was related to the tallying of votes.

Officiating at the fundraising for building dormitories at Katakwi High School, the President donated sh90m out of the sh130m needed. Over sh130m was collected.

He assured Teso of security and continued peace in the region. “I told you that NRM will be the one to stop all the problems of Kony, Karimojong rustlers and misbehaviour of the army,” the President said.

He said people like David Pulkol and Francis Kiyonga (MP Pokot) were opposed to disarming the Karimojong yet the current peace was due to the exercise.

On electricity to Katakwi, the President said the money was available. “I have done my part, so let the MPs check with the ministry. As far as I know, the powerline is completed.”

Museveni also decorated Cuthbert Obwangor, a former finance minister in the Obote government.

He thanked Obwangor for fighting for the country’s independence.

Museveni promised to send experts to work with Teso leaders on the floods. He also directed the disaster ministry to send assistance to the sub-region.
Katakwi chairperson John Ekongot assured Museveni of support from Teso.

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