Zadock Amanyisa
KAMPALA – The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa has warned the National Resistance Movement (NRM) polling agents against getting involved in electoral violence during the forthcoming general election.
While addressing trainers of polling agents at the Kyambogo-based Office of the National Chairman (ONC) on Friday, 2nd January, Tayebwa, who is the Ruhinda North Member of Parliament, urged the agents to observe the law and take nothing for granted during the electoral process.
“Please, ensure that you follow the law! The President has been emphatic; if you have seen him, follow him in his campaigns. If the time is 5:45, they bring him a note, and he says he will handle the rest through the media. Meaning that he is following the law to the latter.” said Tayebwa
“The President is not breaking any single part of the law, and we want our campaign and electoral process to follow the law to the latter. Don’t come and bring your arrogance of saying that you are in charge, we are in power, so we shall break the law and see what you will do. No! Follow the law. If you don’t, we shall handle you administratively here, and we shall expose you.” He added
The former Government Chief Whip warned: Don’t be provoked into violence. Fighting in polling stations doesn’t solve problems. There is an officer. If you see a problem and the Electoral Commission is not responding, please inform the officer. Report to your supervisor. Make a call to your supervisor. He can easily escalate it to a higher level.”
Suspecting that some people who know they are going to lose will provoke agents into fights, Tayebwa told the gathering that such provocations are tricks that the agents should not yield to
“Tell our people to remain sober and report any problem,” he said
The Attorney General, Kiwanuka Kiryowa, who was among the speakers of the day, asked the agents to avoid leaving their respective polling stations during the process.
“The election is won or lost at the polling station. So, whatever you do at that polling station, ladies and gentlemen, it will determine whether we have a result or we don’t have the result.” He said
Kiryowa, a professional with a legal career spanning over 20 years, also warned how dangerous it would be for the agents to go to polling stations donning NRM party insignias because the practice breaks the law.
“Don’t go to the polling station with party colours, and don’t allow anyone at your polling station in party colours. Party colours are going to cause us confusion because that’s how they are going to identify that this one is putting yellow or red. That’s illegal. There is a very good reason as to why party colours should not be at the polling station,” he said, explaining that campaigning is not allowed on the polling day and agents must stick to their main role of vote protection.