Deploy civil police officers to monitor elections-UPC

#UGDecides2021|POLICE|UPC

A Uganda People's Congress (UPC) faction headed by senior human rights lawyer Peter Walubiri has asked the Inspector General of Police Martin Okoth Ochola to deploy civil police officers to monitor the electoral process. 

In press statement issued on Sunday (November 22, 2020), Walubiri argues that peaceful elections can only be realised if it is monitored by civil police officers. 

"The unending and continuous arrests of Presidential Candidates, choosing for them what route to use, which venue to use, and where to hold their campaign rallies, only points to one thing, that the armed forces have taken over the role and mandate of the Electoral Commission. I, therefore, call upon the commission to take charge of the process and also request for civil police officers to monitor the process," Walubiri said. 

Walubiri also condemned electoral violence and implored security agencies not to deviate from their cardinal role of keeping law and order. 

"We want peaceful elections and I request the security agencies to play their constitutional mandate but not to serve on the interests of the sitting President," Walubiri said. 

Walubiri has also announced November 28 to hold his group's delegates conference to elect new leaders. 

In August this year, the mainstream party leadership headed by Lira Municipality MP James Akena also conducted its delegate's conference in which Akena bounced back as the party President. 

Akena is the son of former two-time President Apollo Milton Obote who founded the party in 1960. 

Walubiri insists that he is the lawful party president having received the instruments of power from late Joseph Bbosa, who succeeded Dr Olara Otunnu. 

"Our delegate's conferences will take place on November 28 and I inform all delegates of the Party to participate in the forthcoming exercise because it is in line with the court order to complete the party elections in conformity with our constitution," Walubiri noted. 

On September 7, this year, Court of Appeal nullified Akena's presidency and ordered fresh party elections. 

Justices Irene Mulyagonja, Elizabeth Musoke, and Christopher Madrama unanimously ruled that the party Electoral Commission (EC) illegally declared Akena UPC president in 2015 since the delegate's conference which elected him was not properly constituted.  

The judges noted that the consultative meeting that was convened by Akena could not constitute itself into a delegate's conference because it did not meet the requirements enshrined in the party constitution.  

Consequently, the judges directed members of UPC to conduct nominations and elect a president in conformity with the provisions of their party constitution.      

The judges observed that the designation of Akena UPC president-elect was a misnomer which led to confusion in the process of electing the party president because the same is not provided for in the party constitution.  

Akena however maintains that court decree was overtaken by events because it concerned with his first term of office which expired on June 31 this year.  

"The Court of Appeal judgment has been overtaken by events and does not affect my new term as party president because it has got absolutely nothing to do with my new term," Akena insists.