The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has in a statement rejected the proposal of Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC) to postpone the elections for another three years.
The UJCC, headed by Archbishop of Kampala, Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, made this request on Wednesday morning in a presser to the media owing to the rampant increase in new positive Coronavirus cases.
UJCC had suggested elections be postponed to a later date in three years and amend the constitution to allow incumbent President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to continue ruling as President.
“A few days ago, our top leadership of UJCC to which I am the current Chairman, discussed this current entire sad situation at length, and we came up with a resolution that we should postpone the presidential elections for at least three years to allow both the Covid-19 pandemic and the electoral climate to cool down and also create a favorable political and social environment which will enhance peaceful free and fair elections. This is a debatable proposition that we call upon the Parliament to discuss objectively,” said Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga on Wednesday.
“We refer to the media reports that are quoting the Archbishop of Kampala Archdiocese who is reported to have stated that the constitution of Uganda should be amended to extend the Presidential term by another three years and also postpone the general elections,” said Rt. Hon Justine Lumumba Kasule, the Secretary-General of the NRM, in a statement responding to the UJCC.
If the reports are true, we in the National Resistance Movement believe in the rule of law and this proposal may not be tenable under the current law.
Rt. Hon Justine Lumumba Kasule
The NRM quoted article 105(1) of the Republic of Uganda’s Constitution that states that a person elected President shall hold the office for 5 (FIVE) years. And amendments to this article under Article 260(2) call for a referendum, which is an electoral exercise.
Rt Hon Kasule Lumumba urged all campaigning politicians and their supporters to observe the SOPs set by the ministry of health if the country is to come out of this electoral exercise on the winning end.
