By Gwada Ogot, CCEDU Secretariat
First,
the Butebo County Constituency bye- election was struck by a shock midday press
release from the Electoral Commission (EC) on the eve of e-day; an announcement
that election front-runner; Lt. Oseku had been barred from contesting the
election on a technicality- that he was still a serving member of the UPDF, Ugandas
National Army and therefore ineligible to run.
Ironically,
as a former member of the NRM, Oseku had on two earlier occasions been cleared
to contest the NRM party’ primaries. In both instances the national army did
not protest.
Accordingly,
the commission went ahead and placed advisory posters at all polling stations
relaying its decision. The decision evoked emotive reactions from Oseku’s
supporters, and on e-day, in an unprecedented show of grand solidarity, voters
from 18 polling stations - all strongholds of Lt. Oseku- boycotted the election
to a man.
