The Central Executive Committee which is the top organ of the ruling NRM party has finally agreed on the roadmap to be followed in the forthcoming 2021 general elections.
Chaired by the party's national chairperson, the NRM Central Executive Committee comprises top leaders of the party, including vice chairpersons, the Secretary General, and other members of the party’s executive.
On Thursday, the CEC members sat in a meeting chaired by President Museveni and agreed on a number of contentious issues that had seen the meeting drag on for over three times.
“Whereas the Central Executive Committee has been in continuous session since June,20, 2020, and has undertaken a comprehensive and in-depth review of the central tasks arising from the publication of the revised roadmap from the Independent National Electoral Commission, it is hereby resolved that the mode of voting for general parliamentary and local council elections shall be by lining up,” one of the resolutions of the June 16, CEC meeting reads.
The top organ of the ruling party agreed that lining up behind candidates as the mode of voting for parliament and local council flag bearers will be done in accordance with the Ministry of Health guidelines on Coronavirus issued under the Public Health Act.
“We are mindful of our duty to provide urgent clear guidance and leadership to the membership of the NRM in the situation, and to lead the NRM to decisive and overwhelming victory in the 2021 general election,” the CEC members resolved.
Lining up
The Electoral Commission last month released its revised 2021 roadmap in which it banned mass campaign rallies in favor of radios, tvs and social media for candidates to canvas votes.
However, the ruling party organs including the delegates conference voted to have members line up during their primaries against a secret ballot.
With the onset of the current Coronavirus pandemic, lining up may not adhere to the Ministry of Health guidelines including social distancing.
This had created an impasse among the members of the top organ of the ruling NRM party on what to do so as to balance between not violating the government health guidelines but also organize successful and credible primaries.
This has seen back and forth meetings as members failed to agree on what to do during the party primaries but according to the latest development, it was agreed that lining up behind candidates will be adopted but it remains to be seen if the Ministry of Health guidelines especially social distancing will be observed or easily enforced.
