By Peter Luzinda
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Presidential candidate James Nathan Nandala Mafabi has urged the Electoral Commission to allow people watch their votes after casting them in the January elections.
“Why should you chase people? They took about seven months asking people to register, there were only 600,000 who registered, just within a few days, recently, when they called, they have registered up to 3.5 million people again. That shows a clear sign that the Electoral Commission is already rigging election” he said.
Nandala added, “We want to advise them, this country belongs to all of us, we don’t want our country to go in flames, let us have a true vote. Let the one who wins, win it very, very objectively, allow people to watch their vote””.
Nandala who made the remarks while responding to media ,on the recent electoral commission directive to people to go home after casting their votes during his campaign at Central Market in Entebbe municipality on Thursday, further questioned the essence of chasing people away from the polling stations yet regulations allow them to observe the exercise from a recommended distance.
“Why are you chasing people from the polling station? What do you want to do that you don’t want people to see? They are fearing that when people see what they are doing, they will know the election wasn’t free and fair” Nandala noted.
Nandala further advised the Electoral Commission chairperson Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon, to allow the Ugandans watch their vote.
“If you don’t want them to watch, then say there’s no election, declare the person you want and that’s what they should do. I am advising everybody, don’t go away, how many are they? I will tell the people of Uganda, it is time you guard your vote. Don’t go away, because in any case, you’re already dying of poverty. You’d rather die while watching your vote” he said.
While addressing supporters in Entebbe, Nandala promised to revive the country’s economy through improving the country’s infrastructure and providing accessible capital to women, youth and small entrepreneurs.
“The roads, infrastructure is very bad, people are crying lack of water, there are so many street children, there are so many poor mothers of ours who are working in markets but working for moneylenders, Uganda is in dire need of help” he noted.
“Poverty is all natural and the number of people who are suffering in Uganda currently, 86% are suffering, are beggars, it is only 14% who are a bit better and that’s those who are really managing to help the 86%”.
Nandala further accused government of allowing moneylenders to operate freely while making abnormal profits from the already vulnerable poor citizens, leading to more poverty across the country.
“The whole president allows moneylenders to be in the whole country and they are everywhere, but they come from one region, which is very unfortunate, I don’t know why they say that that region is the only one which has money, it’s unfortunate” he said.
Nandala further noted that he has a master plan to get Ugandans out of poverty by reviving the country’s currency which is currently overvalued.
“I am the only one who has a formula, this money which is in houses of people, it is easily cleared, that’s the advice we gave Modi in India. We said, let everyone put their money on their account, which we told this government, if you put your money on your account, when you are withdrawing, you draw new currency, you don’t withdraw old currency” he said.
He added, “We give you a deadline, many people who have billions and billions in their houses are not going to bring it. You know why? They will be asked, where did you get this money, that’s the money which will be freezed there and then and you will get new currency, which fair” he said