The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has announced plans to issue voter slips to its members ahead of the much-anticipated party primaries, a move the party says is aimed at curbing violence during the internal elections.
Speaking on day three of picking of expression of interest forms, the chairperson of the NRM Electoral Commission, Dr. Tanga Odoi, said the voter slips will be a prerequisite for participating in the party primaries.
"Each member will be issued with a voter slip, and they must present it at the polling station to be allowed to vote," Dr. Odoi said.
The announcement came as the NRM entered day three of receiving expressions of interest from members seeking to contest for parliamentary and district chairperson positions in the forthcoming elections.
Dr. Odoi emphasised that only those whose membership has been duly verified will be issued with the slips and subsequently permitted to participate in the primaries.
"The slip is to confirm that you are a registered member of the party. If you don't have it, you will not be allowed to vote," he added.
According to Dr. Odoi, this is part of broader efforts by the party to address the violence that has marred previous NRM primaries across the country.
While the move has been welcomed by many aspiring candidates, some observers argue that it is insufficient on its own to guarantee peaceful elections.
Patrick Katabazi one of the contestants noted that more robust interventions are required to ensure free and fair primaries. He called on the NRM Electoral Commission to prioritise the training of election officials and deploy adequate security.
"The registrars must be trained well. These are crucial to ensuring an election free of violence," Katabazi told Nile Post in an interview.
The NRM primaries are expected to attract hundreds of contestants across the country as the ruling party gears up for the 2026 general elections.
Over 1300 have already picked expression of interest forms with the numbers expected to double towards the deadline set for 15th June