Nominations date 8/9 Jan

By Edith kimuli NOMINATIONS for presidential candidates have been set for January 8 and 9, 2001, the Electoral Commission announced yesterday. In a statement, the commission said the nominations will take place at Kololo Airstrip in Kampala from 10:00am to 4:00pm on each of the two days. Meanwhile, six presidential aspirants yesterday picked the nomination papers from the commission. They are supposed to gather between 100 and 200 signatures from at least 37 districts in Uganda before nominations. The aspirants have to verify their academic papers with the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), before being nominated as presidential candidates. UNEB is supposed to certify and gazette their qualifications. According to the guidelines accompanying the nomination forms, the 100 signatures of voters seconding a presidential candidate, must be accompanied by a voter's number. The Director of information at the Movement Secretariat, Mr. Ofwono Opondo, yesterday confirmed that Mr. Yoweri Museveni had picked his nomination papers from the commission. He said the papers were picked by Moses Byaruhanga, the secretary of Museveni's task force. Sources said DP's Francis Bwengye also picked his papers. He went physically to the commission offices on Jinja Road to pick the papers. Col. (rtd) Dr. Kiiza Besigye also picked his nomination papers. Others who picked their papers were Chaapa Karuhanga, Aggrey Awori and Nasser Ntege Sebaggala. Sebaggala's papers were picked by Muwanga Kivumbi. Mr. Mayanja Kibirige, who contested in the 1996 presidential elections, is the only aspirant who had not picked his papers by the end of the day. The commission informed other aspirants who had not picked their forms that they were available at their offices. Nelson Ocheger, who announced his intention to stand on November 8, pulled out yesterday. He said since then, his supporters went to the ground consulting, "but they have zeroed on one thing, Time is not appropriate for me to contest," Ocheger said. He said people thought that he was still young at 35 years, though he qualifies constitutionally. He said his supporters thought he needed more time for capacity building. "Given the fact that the public opinion plays an important role in one's success, I think it is right for me to respect it," Ocheger said. "I had to take a hard but patriotic decision to accept the people's request," he added. Ocheger, however, said he was not standing down for anybody and added that next week, his Action Party's National Executive Committee would meet and take a "political decision" on who to support in the elections. Ends