Arua municiparlity by-election has registered very low voters turn up as voting exercise kickoff early in the morning. Several candidates including Nusra Tiperu of NRM and Musema Bruce of opposition FDC have cast their ballots early this morning.
“I have this morning, at last at 10:55am, cast my vote in this historic parliamentary by-election for Arua Municipality where one candidate isn’t voting for himself since he’s incarcerated over 200 km away in the northern Uganda town of Gulu since yesterday.” Lemeriga Fadhil a voter said. The exercise has been peaceful except some of the few incidents that were recorded earlier on.
“Though without much ado, a polling official has been arrested in Oli B cell next my polling station with voter’s register from a polling station in Obolokofuku and is retained at Arua Central Police Station while a house in Oyoze cell in Pangisa Ward is surrounded by vigilant residents so that no iota of irregularities or rigging is registered while a voter is arrested at Ozua cell with pre-ticked ballots for NRM candidate.” Lemeriga added.
There has also been large security deployment across the municipality to combat any form of violence. “Security is at its best as at least three police personnel are deployed at every polling station.
Some polling officials at Kebir cell didn’t turn up but were immediately replaced and voting proceeded without much delay.” A voter added.
In related development the Golden Court hotel Arua where NRM team has been camping has been stormed after residents suspected vote rigging and ballot ticking was being carried out in the area. They are demanding the police to conduct thorough search in the hotel to ascertain what is taking place in the area. They accuses NRM Deputy Secretary General Richard Todwong of masterminding the vote rigging exercise.
Todwong however, denied that no electoral malpractice was taking placing clarifying that the level of vigilant by the locals cannot allow any vote rigging.
