By Mulengera Reporters
The Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama, has said the disqualification of ineligible candidates will continue until polling day, as the Commission intensifies preparations for this month’s general elections.
In his end-of-year message, Justice Byabakama said the EC is fully ready to conduct the elections and will not bow to external pressure or make rushed decisions despite rising political tensions. He urged voters to cast their ballots peacefully, leave polling stations immediately after voting, and return at 4:00pm to witness the vote-counting process.
Justice Byabakama noted that the Election Tribunal has handled more than 300 complaints arising from the nomination exercise, stressing that all rulings are based strictly on evidence and facts presented before the tribunal. He dismissed allegations by some political actors, particularly from the National Unity Platform (NUP), that the Commission is targeting opposition candidates.
According to the EC chairperson, the petitions leading to disqualifications are filed by “vigilant Ugandans” and not initiated by the Commission itself. He emphasized that the EC’s role is to enforce the law impartially and ensure that all candidates meet the legal requirements.
His remarks follow the recent disqualification of Geoffrey Kayanja, the NUP parliamentary candidate for Nakaseke North, who was removed from the race for failing to meet the minimum legal requirement for the number of registered voters endorsing his nomination. Kayanja joins a growing list of opposition candidates disqualified from parliamentary contests across the country.
Among the notable cases is that of musician-turned-politician Mathias Walukagga, who was disqualified from the Busiro East parliamentary race over failure to meet the minimum academic qualifications.
As of December 30, at least 12 parliamentary candidates had been disqualified nationwide, with NUP recording the highest number of affected candidates. The EC has maintained that all disqualifications are lawful and aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
