Jinja East win a 'victory of a unified Opposition'

PIC: DP spokesperson Kenneth Paul Kakande addressing a weekly press conference on Tuesday. (Credit: Slyvia Katushabe)

POLITICS | ELECTIONS

KAMPALA - The Democratic Party (DP) has celebrated the triumph of fellow opposition party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in the recent Jinja East byelection, saying it embodies a unified Oppostion.

In last Thursday's repeat election, Paul Mwiru, the FDC flagbearer, beat a seven-strong competition to clinch a seat that had gone vacant earlier this year.

His main challenger, Nathan Igeme Nabeta of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), had lost the position from a court decision in January, paving way for a byelection.

Following Mwiru's triumph last week, the DP has congratulated his party for reigning  supreme in a hotly contested poll.

"This is the victory of a unified Opposition and a lesson that together, we shall liberate Uganda," DP spokesperson Kenneth Paul Kakande told a weekly press conference on Tuesday.

"The Democratic Party congratulates FDC, its candidate Paul Mwiru and the people of Jinja East upon the victory.

"We further congratulate the foot soldiers of the Opposition who took on the state machinery, bribery, Police and the military to cause the significant victory," Kakande said at the party headquarters in Kampala.

He was accompanied by the party secretary general, Gerald Siranda.

Kakande told reporters that last week's poll outcome bore a clear message: that Ugandans were not happy with the recent constitutional amendments "carried out against the wish of the people".

The NRM dismissed the election results, citing irregularities that played in the Opposition's favor. They said they would challenge the outcome in court.

Pointing at the heavy security deployment in Jinja, DP said that the ruling party was not justified to claim it was cheated of victory.


ALSO RELATED TO THIS STORY

FDC's Mwiru wins Jinja Municipality East seat

Jinja East byelection: As it happened