Should Uganda hold scientific elections in 2021?
Political leaders and stakeholders have expressed worry and uncertainty whether it will be possible to hold the 2021 elections in Uganda due to the outbreak of Covid19 pandemic.
In Africa, a number of countries including Burundi and Mali have held elections in the midst of Covid-19 but in Uganda, there appears to be no consensus on the matter.
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This week, the NRM secretary General Justine Kasule Lumumba revealed that the country might be forced to hold scientific elections in order to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus.
Lumumba claimed that she had discussed this matter with President Museveni, the NRM chairman but did not
"The president said elections will be guided by the views of scientists," she told members of the Inter Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD).
Scientific elections would mean that political campaigns will have to conform to the guidelines of social distancing, which may not be possible.
Indeed opposition leaders have already opposed the idea.
Justice Forum president, Asuman Basalirwa said the Constitution should guide the country on such a sensitive issue.
"Anybody who thinks that they will use scientists or any other agencies to determine whether elections will take place or not with due respect is not making reference to the Constitution,"he said.
He noted that though Covid-19 is going to determine a lot of things, politics can be managed simultaneously.
The FDC president, Patrick Amuriat said there is not need for scientific elections since Uganda is not in a state of war.
Gerald Siranda, the DP secretary general said there is no need to have scientists' advice on the elections.
"We can only have the scientists to advise us on social distancing and how we can sanitize but this is a governance question that requires a political settlement,"he said.
