The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party has extended the term of office of its leaders until after 2021 general elections.
Party spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda told Uganda Radio Network that the circumstances in the country can’t allow them to conduct the elections as required by their party constitution. The party was due to change leaders this July.
On those who want to contest in the general elections on the FDC ticket, Ssemujju said that they already issued an expression of interest forms to know how many people are interested. He said in places where there will be more than one candidate, they will conduct party primaries the same way they have been conducting them in the past.
“We have sequenced these exercises to take us through the month of July and August. FDC internal program is not affected by any other program. In some constituencies, you have about 300 people who make up the Electoral College, those will have to physically assemble. There is no other way. We shall not have elections on phone or circulate papers like the NRM is saying,” says Ssemujju.
In the revised Electoral Commission roadmap, parties are prohibited to carry out the open-air campaign as a means to control the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
In line with the standing regulations by the ministry of health, the Electoral Commission said gathering people in normal campaign rallies has been replaced by virtual campaigns where candidates use the media. All but a few opposition political parties have rejected this arrangement arguing that it will disfranchise a lot of people who have no access to media platforms.
Ssemujju said that the party equally rejects the guidelines that were recently presented before parliament by the Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, that allows the National Executive Committees of political parties to make decisions including selecting candidates to vie for political offices.
But speaking to URN the spokesperson of the National Resistance Movement Rogers Mulindwa said the opposition will reject everything for as long as it has been suggested by the government. Currently, the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee is scrutinizing the guidelines including consulting stakeholders.