NRM nominates 115 for six EALA positions
A total of 115 candidates have expressed interest in representing Uganda in the East African Legislative Assembly on the ruling National Resistance Movement(NRM) party card.
Dr Tanga Odoi, the NRM electoral commission chairperson said the 155 will be making a go at the six positions that the ruling party has.
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“This level of interest is a sign the party and its organs are very vibrant. It shows people are interested in what NRM does. To have 115 members showing interest for EALA is a good sign and record that has never been made,” Dr.Tanga said.
He noted that many of the candidates who have shown interest are youths whom he said were encouraged by the removal of the shs2 million nomination fees.
“The youths used to complain they could not pay the shs2 million. We wanted to test the waters and if this is the right thing, we shall go with it.”
Among the 115 also include James Kakooza, Denis Namara, George Odongo, Rose Akol, Mary Mugenyi and Paul Musamali who are the current representatives on the NRM ticket but are seeking re-election.
The 115 names will be sent by the ruling party electoral commission to the Central Executive Committee that is set to sit later today to get the successful aspirants.
The CEC will then recommend names of successful candidates for election to the NRM Parliamentary Caucus at a later date.
The ruling party has a silent rule that candidates serve two uninterrupted terms and with the incumbents having again shown interest in returning to the East African parliament, it is expected that CEC will again recommend that they are the ones to return to EALA.
Article 50 (1) of the East African treaty states that the National Assembly of each partner State shall elect, not from among its members, nine members of the assembly, who shall represent as much as it is feasible, the various political parties represented in the national assembly, shades of opinion, gender and other special interest groups in that partner state, in accordance with such procedure as the national assembly of each partner state may determine.
Uganda has six slots in the East African parliament, six of these belonging to the ruling NRM party, then Democratic Party, Forum for Democratic Change and independents each have one.
Each term in EALA is five years and the law states that an MP can serve for only two terms.
