In unprecedented turn of events, Democratic Party (DP) president Norbert Mao on Tuesday announced that candidate Lillian Babirye Kamome had withdrawn her candidature from Kyadondo East by-election.
Mao explained that her withdrawal is a tactical move to enable opposition candidate to win the contest.
Although 5 candidates expressed ambitions, the contest is between two rivals who all happen to subscribe to the same political organisation- the FDC.
Apollo Kantinti became the official FDC candidate after singer Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine turned a deaf ear on calls to step down.
He went ahead to pick nominations and stood as an independent candidate.
He has since attracted huge crowds on his rallies prompting predictions that he might emerge winner.
FDC heavyweights Kizza Besigye and Mugisha Muntu on Sunday openly weighed in on Kantinti and asked supporters to vote him for his constituency in fighting for justice and change.
FDC members have since rapped Bobi Wine as a traitor for having rejected to pave way for Kantinti.
Deal
Insiders in FDC told this website that president Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu’s leadership approached Mao and asked him to withdraw his candidate since they are all fighting for the common cause.
“The fear is that DP will divide FDC votes, enabling Bobi Wine or an NRM candidate to win the election,” an insider said.
Muntu and Mao are close political allies who share same political values.
At one point Muntu and Mao had hinted on forming an opposition bloc.
At the weekly press briefing at DP headquarters in Kampala on Tuesday party President Norbert Mao said Babirye’s withdrawal was arrived at following intra-party consultations.
“After consultations of party leaders, the party asked her to step down which the candidate agreed to,” Mao said adding that “the party is bigger than individuals and we believe that the decision taken will channel victory to an opposition candidate.”
The Kyadondo East parliamentary seat fell vacant after the nullification of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate Apollo Kantinti’s election by High court Judge Isabirye Kaweesa, on grounds that the Electoral Commission did not comply with the electoral laws.
Subsequently, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate William Sitenda Sebalu, filed an election petition in which he accused the EC of violating electoral laws. Sebalu also claimed that the election was characterized by voter bribery among other irregularities.