Tumukunde criticizes elite for not voting

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | Independent Presidential Candidate Henry Tumukunde has criticised the  elites who don’t want to participate in voting their leaders, saying they will not enjoy their lifestyles when this country collapses.

He says the elite have a wrong mindset that it is not honorable for them to participate in determining who to lead them and said “this is a gazetted joke”.

In the previous election in 2016, a total number of fifteen million two hundred seventy seven thousand one hundred ninety eight registered voters were confirmed. However, 10,329,131 cast their vote.

A report by the electoral commission showed that Kampala, an Urban areas said to have a large number of elite voters had the least number of voter turn up. Of the 1,014,294 registered voters in Kampala, 522139 voters representing 51.48 percent voted.

This is low compared to rural districts like Kapchporwa which had 79.9 percent of the 48,430 registered voters there turned up to vote. Other rural districts like Katakwi with 70,547 registered voters had 77.69 percent of them vote, Kween with 40043 registered voters had 77.66 percent cast their vote while in Amuria, 77.6 percent of the registered 107957 voters voted.

Tumukunde spoke at the sideline of a court session at City Hall Court when he accused the elites of treating Election Day as holiday for them to relax at beaches.

Tumukunde says Ugandans should not lose hope, that they can bring about change in this country through a ballot.

Tumukunde says this government employs tactics like arresting senior army officers to scare the public and all those that attempt to unseat the current president.

He gave himself as an example since he is currently facing charges of treason and illegal possession of a fire arm in City Hall Court in Kampala.

But, he says, such governments have existed and ended. He says when he is convinced that an election cannot bring the change he will seek an alternative. He urged the public to have courage and not cowardice when dealing with the current government. He vowed not to give up on the fight.

The Electoral Commission set 14th January 2021 to vote for the president. Apart from Tumukunde, other presidential candidates include Robert Kyagulanyi of the National Unity Platform-NUP, the Incumbent Yoweri Kaguta Museveni from the National Resistance Movement-NRM and Patrick Oboi Amuriat of the Forum for Democratic Change-FDC.

Also standing are Nobert Mao of Democratic Party-DP and Gen Mugisha Muntu of Alliance for National Transformation and Independents Nancy Kalembe, John Katumba, Willy Mayambala, Fred Mwesigye and Joseph Kabuleta.

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URN