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Uganda: Ex- Premier Amam Mbabazi to run for President as Independent Candidate


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Former Prime President of Uganda, Mr. Amam Mbabazi has abandoned his earlier ambition to challenge President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni for the National Resistence Movement (NRM) at primaries as the party candidate for the 2016 general elections.

In a press conference, Mr. Mbabazi  reportedly said he will not contest for presidency on the NRM ticket on grounds that the party primaries are illegal, according to Daily Monitor’s report on Friday.

“I’m not leaving NRM. I’m just not running on the NRM ticket. I am going to start a journey and at the end of this journey, I'll be president of Uganda. I have decided that I will not stand within NRM and when the time comes I will be nominated as Presidential candidate,” he told journalists at his residence in Kololo.

President Museveni is the chairman of NRM, and prior to his exit as Premier, Mr. Mbabazi was the General Secretary of NRM.  Mr. Mbabazi is said to have fallen out with long time comrade and Bush war friend, Mr. Museveni when he begun naturing presidential ambitions. It is also alleged that this is what led Mr. Museven to fire him as Premier.

Weeks ago, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr. Kale Kayihura authorized a preventive arrest for  Mbabazi on his route to Mbale district, Eastern Uganda where he had planned to consult with voters ahead of the NRM primaries. The police alleged that Mr. Mbabazi had not obtained proper approval from his party (NRM) to proceed with the consultation, a claim Mr. Mbabazi dismisses as illegal.

 

 

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