Mityana South Member of Parliament Richard Lumu has cited a breakdown of governance in the democratic party, which is clearly going on as the party is conducting internal structure elections.
Richard Kizito Lumu who is seeking to contest for the party secretary general seat, protested the exorbitant and unconstitutional nomination fees set by the party’s current leadership, headed by the party president, Nobert Mao.
Lumu accuses the current leadership of creating unfair conditions to block candidates, including denying access to the voters’ register.
The democratic deputy legal advisor said that 10 million shillings for the party president, 5 million for the vice president and 5 million shillings for the secretary general and for other positions was set to lock out some of the intending candidates.
He said that the National Executive Committee has never sat to approve the nomination fees, endorse any electoral roadmap, ratify the list of delegates and vetting the electoral committee.
Lumu asked the party Treasurer Babirye Kabanda to disclose all the persons nominated for various positions and show proof of them paying for nomination fees because there some people he believes did not pay but were nominated for various positions.
“That money would have been proposed by the executive. The executive then would have sat, after sitting, to approve or reject such a figure. That was not done. However, despite all of that, people have gone on to pay. So, we have questions whether all the contestants have paid. We have not seen evidence of some people paying that money”-Lumu
He said Hon Babirye Kabanda should come out and assure the country whether every contestant has paid the money in the account of the Democratic Party.
He is also contesting a vetting committee, which is composed of members who also want to contest on some positions in the party.