Uganda – Statement by the Chairperson, Electoral Commission at the Closure of the Presidential Nomination Exercise – 2016 General Elections (04.11.2015)

Ref: ADM72/01 – The Republic of Uganda – The Electoral Commission:

The Electoral Commission appointed 3^rd and 4^th November 2015 as dates for the nomination of candidates for the 2016 Presidential Elections. There were forty eight (48) persons who picked Nomination Forms for Presidential Elections. Twelve (12) persons/parties returned the Forms to the Commission for verification. The nomination exercise which commenced yesterday Tuesday 3^rd November 2015, has been concluded today, Wednesday, 4th November 2015, and the following have been successfully nominated as candidates

No	Nominated candidate	Political party/Organisation	Symbol
1.	Yoweri Museveni Kaguta	National Resistance Movement	Party Symbol
2	Amama Mbabazi	Independent	Chair
3	Baryamureeba Venansius	Independent	Clock
4	Besigye Kizza Kifefe	Forum for Democratic Change	Party Symbol
5	Abed Bwanika	Peoples’ Development Party	Party Symbol
6	Mabirizi Joseph	Independent	Ball
7	Maureen Faith Kyalya Waluube	Independent	Pot
8	Biraaro Buta Benon	Farmers Party of Uganda	Party Symbol

 

One of the presidential aspirants, Mr. Bbaale Charles Lwanga (Ecological Party of Uganda) presented himself to the Electoral Commission but did not satisfy the requirements for nomination as a candidate for the Presidential Elections, 2016.

Another Presidential aspirant, Hajji Nasser Ntege Sebagala, who had picked nomination papers, complied with the provisions of Section 10(1)(b) and (3), of the Presidential Elections Act 2005 (as amended) on supporters for the nomination, and booked nomination date and time did not turn up for nomination as required by the law.

The Commission congratulates all those candidates who have been successfully nominated and wishes them the best as they go out to campaign and solicit for votes from the electorate.

The Electoral Commission wishes to emphasise the following: 

The Electoral Commission has appointed the period 4th – 9th November 2015 as the period for inspection of nomination papers for candidates contesting for Presidential Elections 2016.

The inspection of nomination papers will be held at the Office of the Chairperson, Electoral Commission, who is the Returning Officer for the Presidential Elections, during office hours.

During this period, any person will be free to raise objection, to the qualification of a nominated candidate, to the Chairperson, Electoral Commission/Returning Officer, at the Electoral Commission Headquarters in Kampala.

No complaints shall be accepted after the expiry of the appointed dates.

Meeting for Harmonisation of Campaign Programme 

The Electoral Commission will hold a meeting with all the nominated candidates and/or their agents on Thursday 5th – Sunday 8th November 2015, at the Electoral Commission Boardroom, at 10:00am, to harmonise the campaign programme.

After harmonisation of the campaign programme, candidates will be expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), calling for compliance with the campaign guidelines and programme, to achieve peaceful campaigns and elections.

The Commission wishes to appreciate the following who have made the nomination exercise a success:

1. The National Organisation Committee (NOC);
2. The aspirants, their families and delegations;
3. Protocol team, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Associates;
4. Security, particularly the Uganda Police Force;
5. The Management of Mandela National Stadium, Namboole;
6. Uganda Red Cross Society, and St. John Ambulance;
7. Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA);
8. Development Partners (IFES, DGF, British High Commission, and others);
9. Always Be Tolerant (ABETO)
10. Service providers;
11. National and International media;
12. National and international observers;
13. And in a special way, the entire Electoral Commission family.

Finally, the Commission announces the Polling day for Presidential/Parliamentary elections being Thursday, 18th February, 2016.

Eng. Dr. Badru M. Kiggundu

Chairperson, Electoral Commission/Returning Officer, Presidential Elections

More arrests of opposition members in Uganda today

Today there been reported through several sources that certain members of the FDC party has been arrested and taken to the Police. Some of these persons are Mubarak Munyagwa the Mayor of Kawempe, Nasurdin Basalirwa the FDC Youth Chairman for Kampala and Hamidah Nalongo Nassimbwa the VC of FDC Woman’s League in Central Region.

They got jailed after being active activist going to the Parliament to ask the Parliament to implement Electoral Reforms. That seems like a sin in the country when you go against the man with a vision and the only revolutionary in the country. Then you’re allowed to be imprisoned for their opinions and wish to make change. Also to demonstrate against NRM regime and the laws set for the General Election in 2016. Peace.

FDC/1-84/EC/1/9/15 – FDC Letter to the Electoral Commission on Dr. Kizza Besigye as Flag-Bearer (25.09.2015)

Uganda – TDA is to be TBD!

Today was the day the result of the Flag-Bearer for the coalition of the oppisisiton parties in Uganda. The Presidential Candidate of the TDA is supposed to go against the big shot, His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his NRM party. The machine that also controls the Parliament and the Electoral Commission of the country!

So the candidate that is running against the machine and manufacture of the modern Uganda has to be strong. Have to viable, have a moral code and some integrity to pass on the marshes to corruptness in a political landscape where the parties and fellow politicians has been bought or brought into shambles. If you don’t follow the codes of ethics of the man with a vision you can be played out and lose your career in a hot minute. If you don’t follow his words and the main cronies of the nation then your left behind. If you try to be independent and thinking in the NRM party then you’re pushed to the side and clipped your wings. If the Mzee fears that you have ambitions to take his slot, then he will leave you behind as he has done to Hon. Gilbert Bukenya and Hon. Amama Mbabazi.

Four Men standing up for being the Joint Presidential Candidate in the TDA: 

So we are here today when many has followed this Ifs in different equations and with various formulas that ends in the result of losing out on their place in the ruling party. An makes you lost in the opposition. Certain people has gone out after finding the words of the Mzee to be going back on the principals they fought for their freedom in the Bush. This is the likes of certain FDC historical’s and the famous Flag-Bearer of the FDC Dr. Kizza Besigye. Who have been a pawn and a man who has gone for title and grand position election after election and lost after rigging and harassment!

The second man who also wants to be the Flag-Bearer in the TDA is Hon. Amama Mbabazi who has gone from being a loyalist to the Mzee and recently fallen from grace. Even tried in the preliminaries to go head to head and be the Presidential Candidate in the NRM. He sure lost that one to Mzee, not surprisingly; only one man’s vision can rule the NRM! So that the Mababazi is a runner for it was after signing the deal to be a part of the TDA only 12 days ago and independent candidate through the Go-Forward Ticket in the hierarchy of the coalition.

The third ones was Gilbert Bukenya as another former loyalist in the NRM regime that fallen from grace, but didn’t have the strength and support from others in the coalition therefore hasn’t been issue of his place. Still it proves that the fallen ones have a place and their knowledge can be used in a coalition to defeat the NRM and Mzee.

Last candidate was Norbert Mao who has had a viable position up North and been long in the politics. But still hasn’t the whole nation behind him. Especially with his bickering back and from acting as opposition candidate to speaking like he was a part of Mzee’s team. So that the parties didn’t see him as serious flag-bearer in the coalition wasn’t really a newsflash!

The other parties didn’t send their front men or woman to being Presidential Candidate. Like the CP, PPP, UPC and JEMA. That is Olara Otunnu of the UPC, Jaberi Bidandi Ssali of the PPP, Ken Lukyamuzi of the CP and Asuman Basalirwa of the JEEMA. Leaders who could easily gone forward and also filled the nomination form and justly so.

So that it’s natural and would be worrying wouldn’t be issues between Amama Mbabazi of the Go-Forward Ticket and Dr. Kizza Besigye of the FDC Ticket. The issues will be on who is most fit. Then that the parties also vote differently on who they believe is most fit as the Press Statement from TDA told today. That certain parties went for the People’s President and the other went for the Go-Forward Ticket. It’s natural that people choose differently. Even if there is only one man with a vision – the Mzee! But he is not really the issue the here, only that the candidate as Flag-bearer has to beat the Mzee. Therefore the coalition can’t be fragmented and weaken since the approach as single units against the NRM ruling party hasn’t been fruitful before. Therefore this is the time to stay stronger together then weaken alone. Especially since that hasn’t worked before.

The NRM has the machine and power. That should be reason to stay united and prove the Mzee that they have an edge. Alone they will be disfranchised and played out. Some can be bought and run to show off so it seems as the country has a multi-party elections and democracy. The elections has been well-rigged and Electoral Commission has placed loyal men of the regime, with the same in courts that has verified the results in the past and given rulings in favor of the ruling party and the Mzee. While the world and nations accepting the rulings and not pressuring the regime to change ways.

With this in mind and with the knowledge both men has Dr. Kizza Besigye and Amama Mbabazi has together with the supposable strength of the opposition parties and the protocol of the TDA to prove guidance and integrity to the Presidential Election in Uganda this coming 2016 that the world has never seen before. That can they do if they have the courage and vitality take the pressure and malice from the NRM regime for a few more months. If so that person should step up and try. Not that there is great chances of succeeding as it looks today, but the opposition has to give it hard nudge in the right direction. As they want to show the citizens and public in Uganda that they want to rule for real as a coalition willing to change and rebuild. Make structures for more free and fair society not only for the cronies and nepotistic Movement Men that want to follow the words and monies from the Mzee. That is not an easy act to change when so many are eating of that plate, even if it is breadcrumbs their better than nothing. But they would be proud if they learned how to fish and catch it themselves and may be even earn enough to actual buy the bread fair and square.

So that the TDA who has been for too long TBD: To Be Determined! Time to determine the place and actions as simple as the Joint Candidate for the TDA! And have a man who can rein this coalition and honor the codes and protocol, with diligence and fight through the coming election which will be full of struggles and not easy ride. If the run-up and months of preliminary meetings has proven anything, then this will be more arrests, more loss of personnel, some more people vanished, preventive arrests, teargassed meetings, sieged town where the oppositions has meetings and so on!

Please all men of TDA take a minute be wise. You all know you go up against and has tasted the bitter taste of being opposition against the NRM regime who will use all the tricks in the world to regain their rule and therefore the opposition got to show heart and prove that there are noble men in the land. Please show that and be different then Mzee who only cares for his coffers and his vision, and has forgotten the words he stood for long time ago. Which is a reason why so many people has deflected from the NRM and from Mzee. Peace.