A delegation from the National Unity Platform (NUP), led by Leader of Opposition in Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi and Secretary General David Lewis Lubongoya, has called upon the Electoral Commission to take a more active role in ensuring a fair and transparent electoral process.
The leaders criticized the Commission for remaining silent in the face of repeated incidents where security agencies allegedly mistreat candidates and abduct opposition supporters.
They argued that as the body mandated to oversee the electoral process, the Commission must ensure all stakeholders, including security forces, adhere to democratic principles.
During the same event, Joel Ssenyonyi reiterated the party’s strategy of the “protest vote” a call for Ugandans to vote, guard, protects, and demand accurate election results.
In a parallel development, the Democratic Party (DP) has picked up nomination forms for their party president, Norbert Mao, who is set to contest for the presidency.
According to the party’s Secretary General, Gerald Siranda, their campaign will focus on promoting dialogue and a peaceful transition of power.
As of now, nearly 180 aspirants have picked presidential nomination forms from the Electoral Commission headquarters in the Industrial Area, Kampala.
Electoral Commission spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi has reminded all presidential hopefuls to strictly follow legal procedures, particularly when gathering signatures for their nominations.
Meanwhile, the Commission declined to accept signatures submitted by presidential aspirant Moses Mugisha, who had returned them earlier today.
Mugisha expressed concern over the safety of the signatures, citing what he described as an insecure political environment.
However, the Electoral Commission clarified through Mucunguzi that it is not yet the appropriate time to submit the required endorsement signatures.
According to the Commission, submissions will only be accepted starting two weeks before the official presidential nomination dates, which are scheduled for the 23rd and 24th of September.
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