Nominations: Amuriat calls for indiscriminate enforcement of guidelines

ELECTION WATCH | PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS 

Despite of the repeated warnings from the Electoral Commission (EC) to the presidential aspiring candidates against moving in processions while going for nominations, some aspirants have vowed to break the rules if the law is applied selectively.

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party president, Patrick Amuriat Oboi now commonly known as the a "villager" says the guidelines can only be followed if the security organs and EC administer them without bias.

"We need these guidelines to be enforced indiscriminately without favoring anyone. We have experienced these injustices in the past where some candidates from the ruling party have been freely conducting processions and gathering without being touched, yet the opposition has always been restrained on small enclosed meetings," he said.

The EC issued nomination guidelines for aspiring presidential candidates for the 2021 elections ahead of nominations scheduled to take place from November 2^nd and 3^rd at Kyambogo University playground.

Only 10 out of the 22 presidential aspirants who returned nomination forms have so far been cleared for nominations.

The commission boss, Justice Simon Byabakama, said the guidelines are in compliance with the Ministry of Health guidelines and EC standard operating procedures (SOPs) to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

According to the guidelines, every aspirant is supposed to be accompanied by only 10 people to the nomination venue.

The names of the persons accompanying the aspirants must be submitted to commission in advance.

The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango warned the aspirants intending to defy EC guidelines, saying they will be arrested with their supporters.

However, Amuriat said the police should be prepared for war if they apply the law selectively.

"If they think they will allow others to move with processions and curtail others; they should be prepared for a serious war. The fact that they allowed this election, they should let us enjoy with our supporters," he noted.

He said police should enforce the law indiscriminately without favoring anyone.

"That is when we can follow these guidelines. Otherwise we shall not allow what has been taking place in past. We were blocked from holding our activities even before COVID-19 in the name of enforcing the Public Order Management Act (POMA). This affected the opposition a lot," he noted.

Amuriat is to be nominated on Thursday, November 3.  Other aspirants include: Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (NRM), Maj Gen Glegory Mugisha Muntu (Alliance for National Transformation), Robert Kyagulanyi (National Unity Platform), Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde (independent), Nancy Kalembe, Joseph Kabuleta, John Katumba and Fred Mwesigye all independents.