Youth insist restrictions on independents be quashed

By; Francis Lubega

2^nd October 2019

National youth council has opposed the proposed restrictions on independent candidates.

The argument was voiced by the secretary for legal Kirabira Saidi as he led the leadership of the council to table their views on the five bills that were presented by attorney general William Byaruhanga in July.

Government in its proposals seeks to stipulate which candidates are eligible to contest to as independent candidates highlighting that a person is eligible to stand for election as an independent, if he or she is not a member of a registered political party or organization, having ceased to be a member of a political party or organization twelve months before the nomination day or having never been registered as a member of a political party or organization.

Kirabira says that the Council rejected the proposal arguing that the constitution guarantees right to association and de-association by default meaning that any Ugandan has a right to associate and de-associate any time.

Kirabira also asked the committee to consider reducing nomination fees from the current 3m to 200,000 shillings saying that since parliament allowed even 18 year olds to contest for elections its fair even the nomination fees to be reduced.