By Kazibwe Jamil
Your Excellency, the National Chairman of our cherished revolution, and beloved Jjajja, happy birthday to you!
I write to implore you to revisit the Central Executive Committee (CEC) position on the National Youth League elections. With due respect, allow me to share the concerns many of us young cadres hold in the spirit of strengthening transparency, fairness, and unity in our great Movement.
1. Financial Burden on Young Candidates;
Conducting elections at district level disadvantages young candidates who do not have deep pockets to traverse the country on short notice to solicit support from delegates. This arrangement only benefits the well-resourced and well-connected, yet NRM is a mass party rooted in a mass line that works for the majority. For many, the daunting task of last-minute mobilization across 151 districts is an unbearable financial burden.
2. Challenges of Polling Agent Deployment;
Appointment, supervision, and facilitation of polling agents across all districts will be a tall order for ordinary candidates. This gives undue advantage to well-connected contenders who can easily buy off agents from less privileged youth.
3. Questionable Role of Registrars;
Relying on registrars with questionable track records for the repeat election poses a risk. Many candidates fear being disadvantaged through biased handling of the process.
4. Influence of the NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson;
It is also a concern that Dr. Tanga Odoi, as Chairperson of the NRM Electoral Commission, commands influence over registrars and may tilt the process to benefit his son, who is a candidate in this race.
Our Prayer is that youth delegates converge in one place, in your presence, as you earlier promised, to ensure transparency and strict supervision of the process, equal access to voters by all candidates, removal of compromised registrars from managing the process, and easier deployment and accountability of polling agents.
Your Excellency, we seek your guidance and fatherly intervention to protect the integrity of this election and guarantee that it remains true to the spirit of the NRM.
The writer is an NRM Cadre
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