The National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate, Herbert Edmund Ariko has been declared the winner of Soroti East Division amidst accusation of vote rigging.
According to the EC,Ariko got 9,407 votes while his closest contender, Moses Attan of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) got 8,771 votes and Uganda People’s Congress (UPC)’s Amuriat Pascal scooped 115 votes.
During the voting process, NRM’s Attan was accused of ballot stuffing at different polling stations.
According to the eye witnesses EC chairperson Simon Byabakama on arrival at some of these polling station did not act immediately on the allegation,noting that investigations would be conducted at a later stage.
Opposition politicians accused NRM of voter bribery the day before and ballot stuffing on polling day.
On the polling day, FDC president Patrick Amuriat and 41 other members were arrested for allegedly flouting the EC guidelines and the law.
Soroti East returning officer, Christine Eyu said the total number of valid votes cast for candidates were 18,293 with 107 spoilt ballot papers.
During campaigns, president Museveni and other opposition bigwigs were seen in Soroti East to drum up support for their respective candidates.
It remains unclear whether the opposition will run to court of the allegation of voter bribery levied against the ruling party.
