NRM’s Ariko Wins Highly Contested Soroti City East By-election
The Soroti City East Division by-election has today been marred by violence orchestrated and performed by police and the military officers who roughed up members of FDC. Tens of FDC supporters were arrested including polling agents.
The Soroti City Returning Officer Christine Eyu has declared National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Herbert Edmund Ariko the winner of the Soroti City East Division Member of Parliament by-election.
Ariko defeated Forum for Democratic Change candidate Moses Okia Attan and Pascal Amuriat the candidate who stood on the ticket of Uganda People’s Congress (UPC).
Ariko, according to the Returning Officer declaration, got 9, 407 votes while his closest competitor, FDC’s Attan got 8, 771 votes. UPC’s Amuriat got 115 votes. 107 votes were spoilt and 313 votes were invalid.
The total number of valid votes cast for candidates was 18, 293 while the total number of ballot papers counted was 18, 606.
Speaking to the media shortly after being declared winner, Ariko said the by-election has been a gratifying journey which has tested his resilience. “It is a moment that you find difficult to explain,” a composed Ariko said.
He said that as MP, he will not only represent the people who voted for him in parliament as a legislator but also be a lobbyist so that his constituency gains social economic transformation.
He thanked God, the chairperson of NRM, President Yoweri Museveni, the NRM party and his political and personal friends who believed him and did a wonderful job to deliver victory.
The Soroti City East Division by-election has today been marred by violence orchestrated and performed by police and the military officers who roughed up members of FDC. Tens of FDC supporters were arrested including polling agents.
