Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) and Democratic Front (DF) candidates in Masaka are rallying their supporters around a common vote-protection strategy ahead of Thursday’s polls on January 15.
Despite their political rivalry and lack of formal coordination, both parties are urging supporters to closely monitor polling stations to safeguard their votes throughout the electoral process.
Florence Namayanja, Mayor of Masaka City and NUP Greater Masaka Regional Campaigns Coordinator, said that in addition to accredited polling agents inside polling centres, the party has mobilised supporters to remain nearby and maintain a high level of vigilance.
She explained that NUP’s election vigilante teams will monitor activities at polling stations until results are declared, following guidance from the party’s presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, alias Bobi Wine, who has repeatedly urged voters not to leave polling stations after casting their ballots.
Similarly, Dr. Abed Bwanika, the DF parliamentary candidate for Kimanya–Kabonera Division in Masaka City, has encouraged his supporters to disregard any instructions preventing them from protecting their votes.
He emphasized the need for transparency in the elections and has appealed to the Electoral Commission to accommodate voters who remain near polling stations as part of the vote-protection process.
However, the Electoral Commission and security agencies have discouraged the deployment of unauthorised election agents, warning that their presence could create congestion and chaos at polling stations.
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