{UAH} SATURDAY UJA GENERAL ASSEMBLY/ELECTIONS BE POSTPONED

STATEMENT FROM COUNCIL OF ELDERS OF UGANDA JOURNALIST ASSOCIATION (UJA)

 

Fellow journalists, our new constitution of UJA we promulgated on Thursday December 19th 2013 has not yet been printed out and published in both hard and soft copies including all our final amendments and modifications.

 

Registration of voters and nomination of candidates were characterized with irregularities where names of many registered journalists were missing on the voters' register, some were on the voters' register but had no membership or voters' cards, and other people's names were repeated, some aspiring candidates were blocked from nominations and others were declared unopposed, some constitutional offices, like Secretary for Employment, were deliberately  or not, not listed and hence and there have not been efforts to declare them vacant and call for nominations.

 

Some candidates like Simon Kaggwa Njala, who was one of the Presidential candidates, have pulled out complaining of the irregularities. Unfortunately, some of the people in charge, have turned into a deaf ear.

 

On Thursday January 2nd 2014, a stake holders meeting of the outgoing Executive Committee meeting, Council of Elders and Candidates was held at UJA offices, but it failed to agree whether elections would be held this Saturday or not. The outgoing Vice President Herbert Lumansi cited loopholes like lack of a soft and hard copy of the new UJA constitution as promulgated last time. One of the Presidential Candidates Richard Kayiira complained that many professional and practicing journalists' names were missing on the voter's register and they didn't have voters' cards. After failing to get a fair hearing, he stormed out in protest.

 

There is also a potential of violence worse than the last time as there is still a tug of war between those who want the elections postponed and those who want them to have been held yesterday.

 

l am therefore advising the media fraternity not to go to these elections because they will be sham, irregular and characterized with violence.

 

The outgoing Executive Committee, should remain in office, for a period not exceeding six months, as stipulated in our new constitution, in case elections are not concluded, and within that period, it should

1.       Continue with the ongoing constitutional and electoral reforms exercise.

2.       Embark on the nationwide campaign of recruiting all professional and practicing journalists into UJA

3.       Clean UJA membership and voters register, ghost members and voters.

4.       Announce a road map for election, from registering as voters, nomination of candidates, display of the voters register and nominated candidates, and announce the polling day.

5.       Show Report of the Secretary General and audited books of accounts from the Report of the Treasurer.

6.       Mend relationship with other media organizations and media houses, government, civil society, donor community , private sector and the general public.

This is my new position because for almost a year, l have been criticizing the outgoing President, Mr. Joshua Kyalimpa for not holding elections in time and hand over office to his successor. However, given to what is prevailing now, holding elections tomorrow will be like jumping from a frying pan to fire itself.

The challenge is to Mr. Kyalimpa and the rest of the outgoing Executive Committee, especially the outgoing President Prince Herbert Lumansi, the outgoing Acting Secretary General Mr. Fred Kateregga, the outgoing Treasurer Mr. Robert Kagolo and others is keep their names, offices and association clean by not doing what the people want.

In case my brother Joshua Kyalimpa is seen as a fumbling block ( the hazards of incumbents which l also used to have during my two terms of office), he can step down and hand over to his deputy Herbert Lumansi, to deal with the task ahead, and join me, Mr. Tamale Mirundi and Mzee Kintu Musoke, in the Council of Elders.

AHMED KATEREGGA MUSAAZI

COUNCIL OF ELDERS