parties can’t field single candidate
Oct 06, 2005
THE minister of state for justice and constitutional affairs, Adolf Mwesige has said the six major opposition parties (G6) will not be allowed to sponsor a sole candidate in the 2006 presidential elections if they do not register as a single party.
By Hamis Kaheru
and Emmanuel Kajubu
THE minister of state for justice and constitutional affairs, Adolf Mwesige has said the six major opposition parties (G6) will not be allowed to sponsor a sole candidate in the 2006 presidential elections if they do not register as a single party.
“For a political group to sponsor a candidate, it must register as a party. A coalition cannot sponsor a candidate. The law does not know coalitions. There is no such a thing as a coalition in the law,†Mwesige said on phone yesterday from his Bunyangabu constituency.
G6 comprises Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Democratic Party (DP), Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC), Justice Forum (JEEMA), Conservative Party (CP) and The Free Movement (TFM).
Mwesige, however, said if one of the parties sponsored a candidate, the other five were free to support that candidate.
“Perhaps if FDC raises a candidate, all the other parties can support that candidate because the law knows FDC, not G6,†he said.
Mwesige said G6 did not have a chance of backing an independent presidential candidate in case none of the six parties raised a candidate.
“The law allows independents in parliamentary election only. It does not allow candidates to run as independents in presidential or local government elections,†he said, adding that LC5 chairpersons and mayors must also run on party basis.
Earlier on Tuesday, Mwesige said the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party was not worried about G6’s plan to field one candidate.
He was addressing NRM leaders from Kabarole, Kamwenge and Bundibugyo districts at St. Joseph Inn Virika in Fort Portal.
The workshop was meant to sensitise the local party leaders on the NRM roadmap, primaries and other elections.
Mwesige urged NRM supporters not to take seriously candidates who will stand as independents in next year’s elections.
He said NRM regarded candidates who plan to stand on individual merit as part of the opposition.
“Let’s not take candidates standing on individual merit very seriously because they are confusing NRM supporters,†he said.
He said LC1-3 would be retained under the multiparty system. “The LCs will not be scrapped. They are catered for in the Local Government (Amendment) Act,†he said.
He said the Cabinet had proposed retirement benefits for Movement leaders.
and Emmanuel Kajubu
THE minister of state for justice and constitutional affairs, Adolf Mwesige has said the six major opposition parties (G6) will not be allowed to sponsor a sole candidate in the 2006 presidential elections if they do not register as a single party.
“For a political group to sponsor a candidate, it must register as a party. A coalition cannot sponsor a candidate. The law does not know coalitions. There is no such a thing as a coalition in the law,†Mwesige said on phone yesterday from his Bunyangabu constituency.
G6 comprises Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Democratic Party (DP), Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC), Justice Forum (JEEMA), Conservative Party (CP) and The Free Movement (TFM).
Mwesige, however, said if one of the parties sponsored a candidate, the other five were free to support that candidate.
“Perhaps if FDC raises a candidate, all the other parties can support that candidate because the law knows FDC, not G6,†he said.
Mwesige said G6 did not have a chance of backing an independent presidential candidate in case none of the six parties raised a candidate.
“The law allows independents in parliamentary election only. It does not allow candidates to run as independents in presidential or local government elections,†he said, adding that LC5 chairpersons and mayors must also run on party basis.
Earlier on Tuesday, Mwesige said the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party was not worried about G6’s plan to field one candidate.
He was addressing NRM leaders from Kabarole, Kamwenge and Bundibugyo districts at St. Joseph Inn Virika in Fort Portal.
The workshop was meant to sensitise the local party leaders on the NRM roadmap, primaries and other elections.
Mwesige urged NRM supporters not to take seriously candidates who will stand as independents in next year’s elections.
He said NRM regarded candidates who plan to stand on individual merit as part of the opposition.
“Let’s not take candidates standing on individual merit very seriously because they are confusing NRM supporters,†he said.
He said LC1-3 would be retained under the multiparty system. “The LCs will not be scrapped. They are catered for in the Local Government (Amendment) Act,†he said.
He said the Cabinet had proposed retirement benefits for Movement leaders.