UPC releases election roadmap

Uganda People's Congress (UPC) has released its roadmap for the 2021 scientific general elections.

According to the party's secretary-general, Fred Ebil, the roadmap entails the nomination of the party's presidential flag-bearer, parliamentary aspirants, LC5 and LC3 primaries, from June 29 to October 13.

The release of the roadmap follows the Electoral Commission's (EC) revised election schedule for 2021.

Ebil told journalists yesterday that those who wish to contest for the position of party presidential flag-bearer should pick forms between June 29 and July 3, while the campaigns will take place between July 4 and 15.

He said the district conferences for nominating the presidential candidate are scheduled for between July 16 and July 26 while declaration of results will be on July 28.

Ebil told reporters that the picking and returning of party nomination forms for all aspirants at the respective districts levels will be between July 29 and August 22.

He informed journalists that the nomination of persons with disabilities and the youth will take place on August 5.

Nominations for LC3 and LC5 councillors will be on August 7-8, while those for LC5s will take place on August 21 and 22.

The parliamentary primaries are scheduled for September 26, while the nomination of parliamentary candidates with the EC will take place on October 12 and 13. Nominations of presidential candidates will take place on November 2-3.

"Those interested in the positions of presidential flag-bearer, MP, LC5 chairpersons, LC5 councillors and city mayor are advised to pick forms from the party headquarters, while those for municipality mayor, division mayor, LC3 chairperson and LC3 councillor are advised to pick forms from their respective district chairpersons at the district party offices," Ebil told reporters during a press briefing at the party headquarters in Kampala yesterday.

He told journalists that the aspirants should be ready to pay nomination fees in accordance with EC guidelines.

Presidential aspirants are supposed to pay nomination fees of sh20m, while parliamentary contestants are to pay sh1m. The LC5 and city mayor aspirants will pay sh500,000.

Earlier, UPC officials were blocked by the Police from addressing journalists at their party headquarters on grounds that they did not have personal protective equipment against the spread of COVID-19. Police also argued that the party officials could not observe social distancing for the invited journalists.

"UPC alleged they had organised a meeting for 50 people in a small room, but we discovered that there were more guests. The meeting was going to be a breeding ground for COVID-19," the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, told New Vision.

However, the UPC spokesman, Micheal Osinde, blasted the Police for sabotaging their meeting, yet they were law-abiding citizens. "We, as UPC, believe in dialogue, but the Police sabotaged our meeting," Osinde told reporters.