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IPOD asks EC to relax campaign restrictions in ‘districts with high virus cases’
L-R: FDC deputy secretary general, Harold Kaija; NRM Secretary General, Justine Kasule Lumumba, who is also the current IPOD council chairperson; Electoral Commission (EC) chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama and JEEMA Secretary General, Muhammad Kateregga after the meeting at EC Headquarters on January 4th 2021. PHOTO DAVID LUBOWA
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“When you suspend political activities [in those districts], how do you expect us to prepare for the elections because we are supposed to have agents and we are supposed to train them. So how should we do that activity?” Ms Lumumba said.
Political parties with representation in Parliament under their umbrella body, the Inter-party Organization for Dialogue (IPOD) have asked the Electoral Commission (EC) to relax the ban recently imposed on 13 districts including Kampala city so that they can conduct campaign activities in the final days to the general elections on Thursday next week.
In a closed door meeting between the IPOD leaders and the EC officials convened at the EC headquarters in Kampala yesterday, the EC was among others asked to relax the ban so they could be allowed to campaign and make necessary preparations ahead of the general elections.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, the new chairperson of IPOD and Secretary General of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), Ms Justine Kasule Lumumba said the request put before the EC was to allow them as political parties prepare their agents meant to man various polling stations on polling day.
“When you suspend political activities [in those districts], how do you expect us to prepare for the elections because we are supposed to have agents and we are supposed to train them. So how should we do that activity?” Ms Lumumba said.
The IPOD also requested the EC officials to compel the management of the state-owned media like the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) to enable the political parties have easier and equitable access to the said stations.
“We are supposed, as candidates, to have equal access to the airtime of the state owned media but electoral commission has put it to the management of the state-owned media. We have told them the umpires for the exercise must also have keen interest in it and make sure in case parties have challenges so that they can take action,” Ms Lumumba said.
The IPOD also wants the EC to weigh in on what they described as ‘high prices’ levied on them by owners of various radio and Tv stations to have their adverts run on their stations.
“They [media owners] should work with the EC for at least the remaining days to make sure they regulate the pricing. The prices are too high and not manageable by all, especially in these areas where they have closed all our political activities. So there must be an alternative,” Ms Lumumba said.
EC reacts
The chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Justice Simon Byabakama said the EC would only respond to the request by the IPOD only have consulted the Ministry of Health officials.
“As a commission we have had a discussion and we are going to deliberate over this issue and then get back to them with the appropriate responses,” Justice Byabakama said.
“We are going to sit as a commission together with our technical people and then come up with appropriate responses and determine the way forward,” he added.
