{UAH} Mbabazi fears arrest, denies interest to replace Mu7

Prime Minister says NRM party structures determine a party candidate without him having to campaign 

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Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi (R) receives the new head of the European Union Delegation, Mr Kristian Schmidt, at his office yesterday . Photo by PMPU 

By  Monitor Reporter

Posted  Tuesday, December 17  2013 at  02:00

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• I will not run against Museveni - Mbabazi

Kampala- Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi has weighed in on the 2016 presidential elections roadmap, describing media reports that he will stand against President Museveni as inaccurate.

Mr Mbabazi said according to structures of the NRM party to which he is the Secretary General, candidates for elective positions are assessed on their performance and identified by the party without campaigning.

"I am in NRM which is a political party, it is NRM which determines who its candidates will be and I cannot campaign to be a candidate," Mr Mbabazi said, while responding to the new Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation in Uganda, Mr Kristian Schmidt, yesterday.

"We have the Central Executive Committee, the National Executive Committee and the National Conference which come up with names of candidates but if the party chooses me to be a candidate, I cannot refuse," he said.

Mr Schmidt had paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister at his office and asked whether the media reports were true. The two discussed a wide range of issues, including preparations for the 2016 elections, which Schmidt said the EU was concerned about.

Mr Mbabazi told the envoy that adequate electoral reforms would be undertaken to create public trust in the electoral process, beginning with constitutional amendments.

He said proposals on the composition of the Electoral Commission would be debated. 
"The Electoral Commission has made proposals, we have some reforms already made and are determined to have an electronic voter register," he said, adding that there was need to amend the provision for bail to capital offenders through Parliament or a referendum.