Mbabazi is nominated
By Frank Mugabi & Linda Nabusayi
Defence minister Amama Mbabazi was yesterday nominated to defend his Kinkizi West parliamentary seat.Mbabazi was carried shoulder-high by excited supporters. He was nominated at mid-day by Rehema Tindiwesi and James Birakwate.
There was no visible military presence during the nomination at Kanungu district headquarters.
The commissioner over-seeing the Kinkizi by-election, Joseph Biribonwa said a lorry-load of riot police was ferried in from Rukungiri.
Residents, however, remained calm.
Mbabazi lost the seat last month after the appeal court upheld a high court ruling nullifying his 2001 election because of fraud and voter intimidation.
However, Mbabazi might not go through the entire election process, as his expected challenger, James Musinguzi Garuga, withdrew from the race Monday citing voter intimidation once again.
If no other candidate is nominated by 5:00 p.m. today, Mbabazi will be declared an elected MP.
On Monday Musinguzi lost a court application seeking a postponement of the exercise. He claimed soldiers had been ferried to the constituency.
Mbabazi and the army maintain they are no fresh troops in Kinkizi and those already there are because of the security situation in western Uganda.
The newly appointed Electoral Commission chairman Dr Badru Kiggundu yesterday witnessed the minister�s nomination, together with commissioner Jenny Okello.
Kiggundu said the commission will not be influenced by public opinion and that he had the ability to conduct free and fair elections.
The commissioners aim to stay in the area for the week to study the security situation and sensitise the people on the need for a peaceful election.
The date for the election has not been set.
More than 30 members of Parliament escorted Mbabazi to the nomination that ended at about 3:00 p.m. He later addressed a public rally.
January 14, 2003 23:41:02
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