Ineffective structures costing NRM - Odoi

PIC NRM electoral commission chairperson Tanga Odoi. (Credit: Sylvia Katushabe)

POLITICS | NRM

KAMPALA - The structures of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) have been blamed for failing to explain and market the party achievements.

According to the party electoral commission chairperson, Tanga Odoi, this has resulted in the party paying the price through election losses in some incidents and using a lot of money during elections.

NRM recently lost the Jinja East parliamentary by-election, when its candidate Nathan Igeme Nabeta was defeated by Forum for Democratic Change (FDC's) Paul Mwiru.

Odoi made the remarks during a youth convention on the commercialisation of politics in Uganda. The event was held at Makerere University recently.

The convention, mostly attended by the university students, was organised by Alliance for Financial Monitoring.

As a guest speaker, Odoi, said NRM had done a lot in improving sectors such as infrastructure, education, security, health and agriculture, but that because its leaders and supporters at different levels, cannot explain and defend, the party has paid the price.

"They have even failed to explain to the masses that the poverty we are seeing today was temporary because money has gone into infrastructural development first," he said.

Odoi was responding to accusations that NRM was the leading fair game violator in politics in Uganda.

He also portioned the blame to the opposition political parties and players. "In the 2016 general elections, FDC used sh23b which shows a clear cross-cutting problem.

It was more visible for NRM because it is a mass party with a lot of supporters."

Odoi ruled out allegations that NRM used state funds to manage the affairs of the party.

"The party has many members who contribute funds to run the party on top of other donors who are the friends of the party," he said.

In a 2015 survey by Alliance for Financial Monitoring, majority of the MPs (78%) interviewed during the 9th Parliament, agreed that if costs of competing for parliamentary seats continue to rise at the same rate it has over the last 10 years, then the only super rich would be able to compete.

 Even the 2016 electoral commission report 2016 submitted to parliament, highlighted the commercialisation of politics as one of the causes of the electoral-related malpractices.

Odoi called for the youth participation in mainstream politics, saying historically, young people have demonstrated dynamism and the ability to lead societies and effect changes that are beneficial to all.

Andrew Karamagi, a lawyer, disclosed that the ground was not well-tilled for all political players to exercise.

"It is very hard for other political parties to compete against NRM since it appears inseparable from powerful institutions such as the army, police, Bank of Uganda, among others," he said.

 

 

 

Karamagi said Let NRM operate like any other visible political parties to provide an opportunity for opposition parties to challenge it on the basis of the best policy programmes offered for consideration.