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The Electoral Commission (EC) has given reassurance to presidential aspirants regarding their nomination qualifications.
This comes as nominations are set to begin on Tuesday, The EC stated Monday morning that candidates still have time to meet the requirements.
EC Deputy Spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi confirmed that EC teams have been working to verify the lists of supporters submitted by aspirants.
“The commission has time, the teams have time. The Commission has informed all the aspirants who picked the nomination forms and have returned the lists of supporters, that this is where they stand in terms of compliance with the requirements,” he said.
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“Some have gone back and are already collecting additional signatures. As more signatures arrive, the teams go straight into verifying them and then they inform you of where you stand in terms of the level of compliance you have attained.
So far, only two candidates have been cleared: Yoweri Museveni of the NRM and Nathan Nandala Mafabi of the FDC. Over 30 aspirants were sent away last week.
NUP Response to EC
The NUP candidate, Bobi Wine, was among those turned away last week. NUP received communication from the EC that its initial submission had insufficient signatures. The news prompted an urgent mobilisation. Hundreds of people gathered last weekend at the NUP offices in Kampala to provide signatures.
The party’s Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya, said the public response was a community driven effort.
He said people from many districts, including non-NUP members, travelled to provide support. He confirmed that the party had collected enough signatures. They aimed to submit excess signatures to the EC.
Verification Process Continues
The law requires a candidate to have at least 100 supporters from 98 districts, which make two thirds of the districts of Uganda.
Mucunguzi asked aspirants to trust the commission. He said the EC is mandated to do thorough checks to determine if candidates meet the qualifications.