Kampala, Uganda | URN | Many National Resistance Movement (NRM) party candidates are driven by their desire for money but not to promote the party ideology according to the Senior Presidential Advisor Abdul Nadduli.
He explains that many National Resistance Army-NRA historicals were pushed to join and fight the five-year liberation war because of Nationalism, Pan Africanism, Democracy and Social and Economic Transformation.
He however says these are no longer the reasons why people join or get elected into leadership.
According to Nadduli, the struggle to obtain the party ticket to contest for elective positions is no longer driven by the desire to transform the country and promote the party ideology but to find a way to get money from the government.
He says this explains why many capable leaders are running as independents because many politicians used money to secure NRM party tickets.
Nadduli however says this can only be stopped by the young generation because veteran politicians like him played their part in the NRA war.
Nadduli has thrown his weight behind his Sulaiman Jakana Nadduli who is running as an independent for Nakaseke Central parliamentary seat.
Jakana lost the primary elections against the incumbent Syda Bbumba who garnered 8,531 votes against his 3030 votes.
He however says the commercialization of NRM politics has made it extremely difficult for aspirants to unseat incumbents.
At least ten candidates in greater Luweero districts which comprise Nakaseke, Luweero and Nakasongola are running as independents after losing the primaries.
They have declined to step down in favour of the official party candidates saying they were cheated of their victory. Some have asked for compensation for the money they have spent in their campaigns before they step down.
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Zenar Nasur, the Luweero district NRM Vice Chairperson says greed for money isn’t limited to NRM but it cuts across all political parties. Nasur says complaints of bribery emerged from the National Unity Platform (NUP) during the vetting exercise.
She says it’s time for all parties to rethink their future and stop the commercialization of politics if they are to survive for another generation.
