The Electoral Commission has agreed to adjust the nomination dates for Presidential and Parliamentary candidates.
The revelation was made by Justice Simon Byabakama, Chairperson Electoral Commission while appearing before the Committee to respond to complaints raised by MPs who said the decision by the Commission to end voter registration in December 2019 ahead of voting in 2021 would disfranchise voters who would have made 18years after the registration exercise was closed off a year ahead of elections.
According to the new roadmap, nominations have been shifted from 12th and 20th August to early October.
Justice Byabakama said, “We have given exhaustive and careful consideration to that request. We haven’t been able to ascend to that request for reasons contained in our presentation.”
However, EC has maintained the nomination date for village Special Interest Groups (SIGs) Committees candidates for April 6 to 10, 2020 and nomination of candidates for Local Government Councils for July 27-28, 2020.
Following the revision, Committee Chairperson Jacob Oboth said that the new adjustment in the nomination dates is welcome and sensitive to the stakeholders. He said that a long campaign period would paralyze government.
The EC is mandated by the Constitution to design and publicize a roadmap to guide all stakeholders in the preparation for the general election. The Commission is also required to hold presidential, parliamentary and local government council elections within the first 30 days of the last 112 days before the expiration of the term of office. The current term of office for the President, Parliament and Local Government Councils expire on May 12, 2021.
Now, according to EC, campaigns are scheduled immediately after the nomination exercise and close on January 8, 2021. Polling days for the 2021 general election are scheduled between January 10 and February 8, 2021.
