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Presidential nominations pushed to November
Chairman Electoral Commission Badru Kiggundu has said.
Originally slated for Oct 5 and Oct 6, remains unchanged.
In the new rules, presidential candidates will no longer be facilitated with cash and vehicles and the nomination fees were increased from Shs 8m to Shs 20m. Previously each nominated candidate received Shs 20m from the Electoral Commission.
Since the presidential candidates had already paid the Shs 8m under the old rules, Kiggundu said that they will be required to top it up.
FDC presidential flag bearer Dr Kizza Besigye, former prime minister Amama Mbabazi and Prof Venansius Baryamureeba had returned forms and were expecting to be nominated either on Monday on Tuesday.
The others who returned forms include former presidential candidate Abed Bwanika and Joseph Mabirizi. President Museveni was also due for nomination even though his party indefinitely suspended its national conference which was originally slated for Oct 2 at which Museveni’s candidature was to be ratified.
A presidential aspirant is required to obtain signatures of 100 registered voters from at two-thirds of all the 112 districts in order to qualify for nomination. The presidential campaigns will kick off on Nov 9.
The new changes have since sparked outrage from the opposition saying that they are being orchestrated by president Museveni to fail his opponents.
Former presidential aspirant Kalinge Nyago who is now backing Joseph Mabirizi’s candidacy, is one of those who have expressed fury about what he calls “unrealistic Electoral Commission changes.”
He told The Sunrise that they (the changes) reflect the agenda of the regime “to punish every Ugandan who has exhibited an intention to stand up against president Museveni.”
He has however warned that they are not going to take it lying down. “We are going to court and I must also tell you that there are going to be serious agitations around this town in the next few days,” Nyago warned adding that “You cannot make rules for us to abide by and you change them mid way the game and you run away with it. ”
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