Writes Leo Odera Omolo
SIX presidential candidates have been cleared by the Electoral Commission for the nomination due at the Mandela National Stadium in Namboole today and tomorrow.
The EC spokesperson, Willy Ochola, yesterday said the six had fulfilled the required conditions after submitting 100 signatures of supporters from at least 75 of the 112 districts. The signatures were approved after verification.
President Yoweri Museveni, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag-bearer, and Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader Col. Kizza Besigye were cleared on Saturday.
The EC yesterday also cleared the Uganda Federal Alliance presidential candidate, Olive Beti Kamya, Nobert Mao of the Democratic Party, Dr. Abed Bwanika of the People’s Development Party and Jaberi Bidandi Ssali of the People’s Progressive Party.
This makes six candidates eligible for nomination. Museveni will be nominated today at 10:00am, Bidandi at 11:00am and Mao at 3:00pm.
Besigye, the joint flag-bearer of the Inter-Party Cooperation, will be nominated at midday today. IPC brings together the FDC, Conservative Party, Justice Forum (Jeema), the Social Democrats Party and a pressure group, Suubi 2011, headed by former Buganda premier Joseph Mulwanyamuli Ssemwogerere.
Bwanika and Kamya have booked Tuesday 11:00am and midday respectively.
Museveni, Besigye, Mao. Bidandi, Kamya and Bwanika are part of the 11 presidential aspirants who had returned the nomination forms by yesterday. A total of 56 candidates picked the forms.
The others are Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) led by Olara Otunnu and the Green Partisan Party led by Jamil Ssali.
Ochola named the independent candidates who returned the nomination forms as Gideon Tugume, Drake Sebunya and Samuel Lubega.
By last evening, the EC was still verifying Otunnu’s nomination forms and he had only secured 50 districts out of the required 75.
Ochola said the Green Partisan Party had signatures from about 20 districts approved, Gideon Tugume had 16 districts, Drake Sebunya had 15, while Samuel Lubega had only 11 districts.
He said verification of signatures would end today. Whoever fails to get the required signatures by then will not be nominated.
The EC vice-chairman, Joseph Biribonwa, said each candidate will be given 15 minutes for nomination, since verification of supporters and payment of the sh8m fee had been done.
Biribonwa said the nomination will be carried out in the stadium’s main hall. Two holding rooms have been secured for candidates who will arrive earlier than their appointed time or who will come late.
He noted that stake-holders like political parties, diplomats, religious leaders and election observers have been invited to witness the exercise.
Ochola added that the commission had already secured 10 vehicles for presidential candidates, as well as escort cars.
About 14 million people have registered to take part in the 2011 general elections that will kick off on February 18, 2011 with the presidential and parliamentary elections.
The district leaders will be elected on February 23. Leaders of municipality local governments will be elected on March 2. LC2 leaders will be elected on March 7.
Ends