{UAH} NRM nomination fees illegal - Mbabazi

Kampala- An impasse looms today at the National Resistance Movement (NRM) headquarters on Kyadondo Road in Kampala as former prime minister Amama Mbabazi is expected to pick his nomination forms for the party's presidential flag bearer and chairman slots.

However, the former NRM secretary general insists that the fees the party's Electoral Commission is charging before aspirants can obtain the forms are illegal.

The ruling party's electoral commission chairman, Dr Tanga Odoi, yesterday told Daily Monitor Mr Mbabazi will have failed the first step and will not be given the forms if he does not clear the Shs20m for the chairman and presidential flag bearer slot.

Mr Mbabazi's lead lawyer, Mr Fred Muwema, yesterday told Daily Monitor: "I can confirm that our client will pick his forms on Thursday morning."

Asked if Mr Mbabazi had paid the fees before picking his nomination forms as per new NRM regulations, Mr Muwema said: "The issue of the fees will be addressed when we obtain the official rules and requirements but there is no requirement for one to pay the fees in the rules as we know."
Yesterday, NRM members who had not paid fees were turned away as one of the requirement for accessing the nomination forms' table and later have their senior four and senior six qualifications verified by the Uganda National Examinations Board.

Mr Mbabazi's communications director, Ms Josephine Mayanja Nkangi said: "Just relax. Does Daily Monitor want to pay for him the fees? If not then relax, everything will be okay."

Mr Muwema, in an interview with this newspaper yesterday, avoided going into the bone and marrow details of Mr Mbabazi's objection to the fees, saying: "Tomorrow is not far. Let's wait and see what happens."

The development comes after President Museveni, who had until this week given no official indication he would contest for the country's number one job, arguing it was a matter for the NRM, paid the Shs20m.

At NRM offices at Kyadondo Road, yesterday was a flurry of activity with the NRM EC insisting on rules being observed. Third deputy prime minister Moses Ali's personal assistant was, for instance, turned away when he sought to pick the forms on his behalf.

Gen Ali would later turn up to pick the forms himself alongside the State minister for Defence, Gen Jeje Odongo, who revealed he was contesting for the Orungo County parliamentary seat in Amuria District.

Vice President Edward Ssekandi and a host of other ministers too picked forms personally.

Dr Tanga yesterday said: "We expect everyone to play by the rules. The NRM constitution is a skeleton which doesn't give details of how the NRM EC works so these rules fill that gap."

Mr Mbabazi, this newspaper understands from credible sources in his task force, is set to challenge the electoral process, with a view to demand that the new EC rules be overhauled and replaced with rules that conform to the party constitution, national constitution and presidential elections act.

By press time, Mr Mbabazi's legal team was holed up in a series of meetings as he tasked them to do a thorough scrutiny of the new party rules of engagement.

Mr Mbabazi legal team believes the rules "target Mbabazi" and is "only restrictive on presidential candidates".

Mr Mbabazi recently told the press he was losing confidence in the ability of the party organs to organise a free and fair election.

Arguing that he was still trying to find his way in NRM, he said: "If some people choose the undemocratic path, they are free to go that way. Some of us shall remain on the democratic path."

The rule
The new regulations require, "a presidential aspirant to first introduce himself in person to the NRM EC for verification and agreement on the code of conduct".

They also bar the aspirant from distributing campaign materials and manifesto and subjects them to a fine of Shs10 million, in contravention of the presidential elections act which does not provide for them.

The rules also bar NRM members who lose election for the flag bearer from contesting as independents.
editorial@ug.nationmedia.com

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