Electoral Commission says 2021 elections will take place despite Covid-19 pandemic

The Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama has said that the upcoming 2021 general elections will not be postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

President Yoweri Museveni, in an exclusive interview with NBS Television, had earlier on hinted on a possible postponement of the elections saying it would be ‘madness’ to let people gather when the virus is still around.

https://nilepost.co.ug/2020/05/11/exclusive-museveni-speaks-out-on-tumukunde-fate-of-2021-elections/

Speaking to the press at the Office of the Prime Minister on Tuesday afternoon, however, the EC boss said that elections will not be disrupted and that they will be held as scheduled.

He said, “As far as we are concerned, we shall be able to conduct the elections, once the lockdown is lifted.”

https://youtu.be/rioCdxnSOWg

Justice Byabakama said that although some of the electoral activities have been affected by the pandemic, the commission is still very hopeful that the elections will not be disrupted.

“The commission has not been hit severely to warrant postponing of the elections. We shall stick to our earlier plans that we had put in place.”

The Electoral Commission contributed shs 15 million to the COVID-19 national taskforce to help in the fight against the spread of the Coronavirus. Justice Byabakama said that they were heeding to a call by President Museveni for donations.