The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni has supported the scientific elections model and rallied Ugandans to do the same.
In his first public address after the release of the revised electoral roadmap, Museveni said that the Electoral Commission presented three choices to choose from in as far as the 2021 election is concerned.
He said the three choices included the possibility of safely holding conventional elections of mass rallies and processions even in the absence of a vaccine or clear treatment for the virus. According to Museveni, the commission had also considered the possibility of postponing elections.
The third option was a hybrid that can be used to hold elections on time but safely.
When the Electoral Commission issued a revised roadmap on Tuesday last week banning mass rallies in favour of candidates using the media for campaigning, it generated immediate opposition from other political players except the NRM.
They said either the Electoral Commission organizes a normal election or the elections are postponed. Yesterday, Kyaddondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi rejected the proposal saying together with his People Power Movement, they are only going to participate in conventional elections.
Kyagulanyi wondered how the people of Malawi, Burundi and United States of America which is more affected by the pandemic are having normal elections but Uganda without a single death is opting for scientific elections.
“There was no coronavirus when our consultation meetings were stopped. There was no coronavirus when Museveni personally stopped all our shows, so we must all now be knowing that what Museveni fears are the people, “Kyagulanyi said.
Kyagulanyi accused the president of hiding under the COVID-19 cover to block the opposition from interacting with the masses, in the absence of the Public Order Management Act.
“There is nothing like a scientific election for us what we are going for is a real election,” Kyagulanyi said.
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Since COVID-19 permeated our capital city, major towns and villages, we are not expected to be butted, bumped, thrust and razed while at public rallies at this time where the political fever is felt in Uganda because we must maintain a safe distance from others. Protocol demands that we wear masks when physical distancing is not possible. We have been told by health experts that also masks can help prevent the spread of the virus from the person wearing the mask to others. On their own, masks do not protect against COVID-19, and should be combined with physical distancing and hand hygiene.
Kampala city’s divisions of Nakawa, Makindye, Rubaga, Kampala central, and Kawempe have been declared hot spots by the Ministry of Health partly because many taxi operators and motorists that ply the city roads are not adhering to the COVID-19 guidelines in place coupled with political rallies where candidates’ supporters are disregarding social distancing measures and wearing of face masks.
The Minister of Works and Transport General Katumba Wamala has raised concern about the growing rate of community transmission of COVID-19, and said government could be forced into another lock-down of public transport. Contact tracing is eluding health officials because the source of infection for most people dying in Uganda is not known.
Political parties, and lawmakers in parliament are disputing what the Electoral Commission and scientists say about public gatherings. With voters unable to social distance, such gatherings will be a high risk as the pandemic begins to be felt at each and every Ugandan’s door. Social distancing and wearing of masks are key guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19.