Forum for Democratic Change party has asked Police to release the Kasese district Electoral Commission registrar, Valey Kanzira.
Wafula Oguttu said Kanzira had not committed any
crime but was arrested last weekend by police over purported
election-related offences.
He told a press briefing at the party headquarters
at Najjanakumbi in Kampala on Monday that FDC did not bribe anyone to
win the Kasese woman MP by-election after which the party’s Winnie Kiiza
won last week.
Kiiza beat the NRM candidate Reheema Muhindo by close to a double margin.
"We ask Government to release the electoral
commission registrar. He has no case. We won because our candidate was
popular and the electorate is tired of NRM," Oguttu said.
When asked to comment on Kanzira's arrest, the
police spokesperson, Simon Kuteesa said the suspect had allegedly
committed several offences but he [Kuteesa] could not name them.
However it is suspected Kanzira tampered with the
voters' register and the tallying of votes cast during the hotly contest
by-election.
Wafula asked the Electoral Commission to formally complain.
"FDC is not capable of rigging votes because that
is like saying that a rat can chase a cat" he brought the journalists
and party officials present into laughter.
He said that the Leader of Opposition in
Parliament, Nandala Mafabi is expected to take leave [step aside] from
his position during the time he will be campaigning for the FDC's
Presidency.
And that will be a period of three months, Wafula
revealed. The reported stepping aside of Mafabi is intended to stop him
and those contesting from using resources of their offices.
Wafula also said Nandala's opponents to the party’s
helm, Maj. Mugisha Muntu and Geoffrey Ekanya are also required to ‘take
leave’ as by a condition set by the FDC party's National Executive
Committee (NEC).
Muntu is the secretary for mobilization of FDC while Ekanya is the shadow minister for finance.
The three were nominated and cleared last week by
the party's electoral commission to contest for the FDC party presidency
to replace three-time presidential contender, Dr. Kizza Besigye.
Wafula expressed concern over increased fire
outbreaks which he says Government should stop. His complaint is that
reports on fires such as that of Kasubi tombs have not been published.http://www.newvision.co.ug/finalsearch.aspx?q=kasese
