Electoral Commission Unable To Conduct Credible Elections Under The Prevailing Circumstances – Gen Tumukunde
Former security minister and 2021 presidential hopeful Lt. Gen (Rtd) Henry Tumukunde says the electoral election doesn’t have enough time to conduct legitimate and credible elections as per the 2020/2021 roadmap.
After being interrupted by COVID-19 pandemic, the electoral commission last week announced a revised road map for the 2020/2021 general elections with compaigns set to be held digitally to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
Addressing a press conference at his office in Kampala today, Gen Tumukunde said the electoral commission is over packing too many things in a short period which he said may not facilitate proper elections.
He questioned why the electoral commission is rushing to hold elections in an abnormal situation of COVID-19 pandemic.
“If this country had an emergency as likely to be the case because now we are waiting for the most difficult phase which other people have entered in, how prepared are we? And if this comes in between an election what happens? We shall have purchased things, we shall have procured using public funds, individuals will have invested their money in an election, we shall all have done preparations, if there is need for example to do another lockdown, how do we relate it to this pressure of rushing for an election? Wondered Tumukunde.
He wants the electoral commission to sit with the opposition and listen to their views to be able to choose a correct course of action.
“The Electoral Commission should call all of us and we go through this nitty-gritties, explain our selves and our views to them that they may then choose a correct course that fits all of us” said Gen Tumukunde.
He says if they fail to reach an agreement with the Electoral Commission, they will sit as opposition and decide the way forward.
“This government is here because there was a mismanaged election, it may have been used as an excuse as some people say but it’s because there was a mismanaged election, so the next question is, do we want to repeat this” asked Gen Tumukunde
The former security Minister adds that they are in talks as the opposition on the final step to take as a way of power change since many measures have been taken as the joint opposition in the past elections and failed to work.
Tumukunde says that if the opposition talks also fail to work out this time, he with come out and stand on an independent ticket.
In March this year, Henry Tumukunde was arrested on treason charges few days after announcing his presidential bid.
He was released on bail after spending 60 days in both police and prison detention.
