Arua FDC poll ends in chaos

Sep 20, 2010

ELECTIONS of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party flag-bearers in Arua Hill division ended in chaos after losers in the hotly-contested position of the LC3 chairman rejected the results, alleging rigging.

By Richard Drasimaku

ELECTIONS of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party flag-bearers in Arua Hill division ended in chaos after losers in the hotly-contested position of the LC3 chairman rejected the results, alleging rigging.

Romano Matua, the incumbent, won the election with 33 votes, beating his closest rival Alion Odria by three votes. The other contestants Eric Candiga and Lawrence Obiga garnered 12 and five votes respectively.

However, soon after the results were announced, Odria and his supporters broke loose, demanding immediate verification of the results and the register used for the polls.

They claimed non-members were allowed to vote in place of absent members of the electoral college. Polling area branch chairpersons, ward executives, division and municipal executive members constituted the electoral college.

Odria said before voting started, the presiding officer announced that there were 78 college members, yet the final tally indicated 83 valid votes plus three invalid ones.

“This is not different from what happened in the NRM primaries. If this anomaly is not rectified, we are ready to quit FDC,” shouted angry supporters.

FDC district leaders, including the chairman, Hamza Odru, intervened to quell the situation.

Hajj Hakim Moli, the Arua FDC returning officer, appealed to the disgruntled losers to petition his office within two days.

Eight flag-bearers for councillors to the division, two to the municipal council and the flag-bearer for woman representative of the division to the district went through unopposed.

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