By Kabuye Ronald
The National Unity Platform (NUP) has taken a decision not to field a candidate in the upcoming by-election for Soroti East Constituency in Soroti City.
According to NUP, they will back the Forum for Democratic Change FDC candidate Hon. Attan Moses who has as well been the incumbent.
“Although we had very good potential candidates in Soroti, we are doing this in the broader interest of the unity of the Forces of Change. We believe that Hon. Attan legitimately won the previous election which was interrupted by a court decision. Therefore, we shall be supporting him, and rallying the people of Soroti to take him back to Parliament.
We are stronger when we come together” read NUP statement
It should be noted that in May 2022, the Court of Appeal ejected Moses Attan from Parliament and declared the Soroti East MP seat vacant, saying that the Electoral Commission (EC) failed to conduct free and fair elections.
The judgment followed an appeal by one of the voters who challenged the annexation and transfer of Opiyai and Aloet wards from Soroti East to Soroti West after the nomination of the candidates, which disfranchised and denied over 4,560 voters the right to exercise their constitutional right to vote.
Court added that at the time of voter verification, Opiyai and Aloet Awards (polling stations) were verified and confirmed to fall under Soroti East and therefore that sudden change left voters at a loss and confused as to where they belong and whom to vote for as they were presented with ballot papers of strange candidates than the ones they expected to vote for.
