The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) is set to field candidates for all elective positions as the Electoral Commission (EC) opens nominations for candidates to run for parliamentary seats in the 2021 General Election.
EC will nominate candidates for directly elected MPs representing counties and constituencies, district Woman MPs, and city Woman MPs.
At least 518 positions are up for grabs in the nominations that end on Friday save for the 10 representatives of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, whose exercise will be conducted at a later date.
With the Opposition failing to field candidates in all electoral areas in the previous elections, the National Unity Platform (NUP) will in its first time shot on competitive politics field 427 MP candidates across the country.
The party led by Kyadondo East MP and Presidential hopeful, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, will know its fate on Friday when High Court Judge Musa Sekaana is expected rule on whether lawful procedures were taken to change its name from National Unity, Reconciliation and Development Party.
This newspaper has learnt that Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party has so far endorsed 320 flag bearers.
Despite suffering the biggest loss of elected MPs to NUP, the Democratic Party (DP) will nominate at least 290 Parliamentary candidates. The number of candidates endorsed by Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) and Justice Forum (Jeema), which have also been represented in the 10th Parliament, was not yet established.
Mr Dan Mugarura, the Elections Coordinator in Alliance for National Transformation party, led by another presidential hopeful, Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, said they were yet to confirm the total number of MP candidates.
When the 11th Parliament is sworn in come May 2021, the number of MPs will shoot from the current 445 to 528.
Electoral Commission set
The EC will nominate the parliamentary candidates at their district branches in an exercise that will be presided over by district registrars.
The EC on Tuesday warned aspirants against turning up amid convoys as they present themselves for nomination because it will be a violation of the set guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Nominations on each of the two days begin at 9am and close at 5pm.
The acting spokesperson of the EC, Mr Paul Bukenya, told Daily Monitor that the EC is set for the nomination of the MPs on Thursday and Friday. He said the commission will release the guidelines for elections of SIG (workers, older people, PWDs and UPDF MPs) that are represented in parliament.