The Shadow Attorney General Elias Lukwago has warned the government of Uganda against any move to outlaw independent candidature in Uganda’s 2011 general elections.
MP Elias Lukwago
Lukwago also the MP for Kampala Central says the opposition is privy to information that the National Resistance Movement Chairman and party flag bearer President Yoweri Museveni has ordered for an amendment of the elections law to out rightly ban people who belong to a political party from contesting as independent candidates.
Lukwago says such a move is illegal and goes the freedoms guaranteed by Uganda’s 1995 Constitution giving rights to anyone to seek political office and the elections Act which provides that people can compete on behalf of a political party or as independent candidates.
It was not possible for Weinformers Media to establish from President Museveni and the NRM whether such a law is really being planned, through the president has express a firm stand against independent candidature by people who belong to NRM.
Political parties especially the NRM and the Democratic Party have been talking tough against their members competing in elections as independent candidates and both have vowed to suspend party members that compete as independent candidates. But analysts have said the party regulations will do little to stop party members from competing as independents unless there is national law.
Lukwago told journalists in Kampala today that it is the right of every Uganda to compete for political office on the ticket of any political party or as an independent candidate not affiliated to any party.
But political parties have been long concerned over their members who lose primaries only to compete in the national elections as independent candidates, which affects the support of the party’s official candidate.
Lukwago himself a member of DP has been at longheads with his party leadership and it is not clear under what party he will compete in the 2011 elections or whether he will stand as an independent candidate.
Weinformers Media