EC warns aspirants against moving with supporters at nomination venues

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  The Electoral Commission has warned parliamentary aspirants who are going to be nominated today and Friday against ferrying supporters at nomination venues. 

Speaking to Uganda Radio Network -URN, Paul Bukenya, the spokesperson of the Electoral Commission said that law enforcement officers are ready to ensure that this guideline is followed.    

In June, the Electoral Commission banned all mass gatherings as a means of forestalling the spread of the COVID-19. Bukenya said they are going to be strict to ensure that these guidelines are enforced. He said that they are going to allow only the candidate and two other people; the nominator and the seconder. 

He also called upon aspirants to go at the nomination centers with all the required documents. These include, fully filled nomination forms with ten signatures of nominees, receipt of payment of three million shillings, a national identity card, documents from political parties for those who are being supported, and certified copies of academic documents of advanced level or its equivalent. 

Bukenya called upon candidates not to hold after nomination campaigns, adding that there will be an opportunity for the candidates to hold campaigns after the harmonization process of the campaign schedules. 

“We don’t want a blow up of Covid-19 simply because of elections. We advise people to go back to their homes or offices after nominations until they all meet on Monday to agree on regulated meetings that will have manageable number of people who can social distance, sanitize and can put on masks,” Bukenya said. 

Asked about how many aspirants they anticipate to nominate, Bukenya said, he can’t speculate now but he added that they are ready to nominate all those who will meet the requirement of nomination. “We have seen from local government nominations that almost all seats were contested. There were few cases of those who were unopposed,” said Bukenya. 

He said another day will be arranged for the nomination of Special Interest Group Member of Parliament such as the youths, elderly, workers, people with disability and the UPDF. Uganda will be holding general elections in January 2021.

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URN