The Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) has asked all members interested in running as the party presidential flag bearers in the forthcoming 2021 to pick and fill in forms.
Addressing journalists on Monday at the party headquarters along Buganda Road, ANT party electoral commission chairperson, Dan Mugarura said the program specifically for presidential flag bearers has officially kicked off.
“As the party decided to participate in this election, from today we are open to those interested in the presidency of the Republic of Uganda standing on the ticket of the Alliance for National Transformation to start bringing in the required nomination documents for vetting and verification,” Mugarura said.
He explained that registration and picking of nomination forms will end on June 25 and followed by verification of the documents that will run from June 26 to 29,2020 and then nomination for the parry presidential flag bearer, harmonizing of the campaign program, open campaigns, presidential debate and later the national interim delegates conference where the parry presidential flag bearer will be elected on August 6.
“All those with our party cards, they are valid members and fell they should be able to tackle the presidency should come and pick documents as long as they are 18 years of age and have other requirements as per the Constitution of Uganda and the one for our party,” he said.
Muntu’s candidature not automatic
Despite being the party’s founder, the Alliance for National Transformation said it is not automatic that Gen.Mugisha Muntu will stand as their presidential flag bearer.
“A political party is an organization of very many people and interests. Gen.Muntu is our interim national coordinator and we have many members on the interim coordination team as well as others in diaspora and members of the public who would want to represent the party. We have very many gallants Ugandans who are capable of taking the mantle of presidency,” Mugarura said.
“It is the reason we are open for anybody capable and interested to come up. Gen.Muntu is not one bull in the kraal. We have many bulls.”
According to Sulaiman Kakaire, the deputy spokesperson for the Alliance for National Transformation, they cannot close the process to other people in favour of only one person
“We opened the process and it is purely in line with one of our values and virtues as a party that believes in internal democracy that we stand for as a political party. We cannot be seen to close to processes that may be available to other individuals,” Kakaire said.
The party said getting candidates for other elective positions right from the local governments are also ongoing, adding that at the “right time” they will reveal all details.
The 2021 general elections will be the first polls that the newly formed Alliance for National Transformation will participate in, since its leader, Gen.Mugisha Muntu broke away from the opposition Forum for Democratic Change in 2018 over what he termed as “ideological” differences.
The party has since gone ahead to court several members especially from FDC to join their ranks and according to insiders, many more are soon joining the Alliance for National Transformation party formed last year.
