The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has issued electoral guidelines ahead of the party primary elections set for Friday.
The elections are for party flag bearers for position of constituency MPs and District woman representatives. The guidelines were issued by the chairperson of NRM Electoral Commission, Dr Tanga Odoi.
According to the electoral guidelines, the exercise will be in 151 NRM districts, 351 constituencies and 69,075 villages which are also the NRM polling stations.
The mode of election shall be by lining up using ‘Universal Adult Suffrage’ where all NRM members who appear in the NRM voters register will be allowed to vote,” the party electoral commission stated in the guidelines.
The Commission also prescribed the procedures that will be followed to safeguard the electorate from Covid-19 infections.
“As the polling procedure described above is being executed, the presiding officer at each polling station must ensure observance of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as laid out by Ministry of Health in the fight against Covid-19,” the commission added.
The polling station shall be set up in an open place (not indoors) with good air circulation, according to the guidelines.
The party electoral commission also asked all persons who report to the polling station (election officials and electorate) to observe measures like handwashing, social distancing and wearing of facemasks.
“No handshaking/hugging is allowed. All persons should disperse back to their homes immediately after the polling process,” it added.
The party was also concerned about the likely violence and indicated that measures had been devised to counter it.
“The commission’s department of research has made a scan of the entire country and made a detection of early election violence in several areas including but not limited to Sembabule, Mityana, Hoima, Kashongi constituency in Kiruhura, Kazo,” the document reads.
Other districts where the commission fears violence may spark include Sheema, Bushenyi, Koboko, Kasanda, Tororo, Busia, and Kakumiro. The party’s electoral commission warned “that any candidate who is got engaging in electoral violence will be disqualified.”
It is stated that the commission has written to security informing them about the forthcoming electoral process and requested them to provide the commission with security.
The Commission also requested the district security teams such as the Resident District Commission and district police to provide security for the exercise to be successful.
The party said it is currently in the process of displaying the voters register.
“The commission would like to inform all NRM candidates and entire NRM electorate that the register shall be used as is. As such; there shall be no addition and deletion of names during the display of the NRM voters register,” the guidelines showed.
“All NRM members whose names get added during display of the register will not be allowed to vote in NRM primaries. All NRM members whose names get deleted during display of the register will be allowed to vote in NRM primaries,” it added.