Following the crisis that was caused by Coronavirus which led to a declaration of a countrywide lockdown by President Museveni late last month, uncertainty rose over the general elections which were slated for early next year, with nominations for the presidential candidates earlier scheduled for October 2020.
There has since been a popular debate among the public over whether the Electoral Commission will indeed go ahead and organise the elections as earlier anticipated. Some people have called for a two years extension,with others appealing that elections be scrapped of the EC program until 2021 when the country would have healed from the far reaching effects of the pandemic.
The EC has on many occasions maintained it’s stance on not suspending the elections even though the special interest groups’ elections which were slated for this month were suspended indefinitely a point that seems to contradict with what Salaamu Musumba, the FDC Vice President for Eastern Uganda, thinks should be the right thing to do.
According to the former Bugabula North MP, not even her love for effecting a political transition from the current Museveni administration would tempt her to give a node to the elections which presents a sure danger to the nationals due to the current attack from COVID19. She explains that elections have been around and will always be there and so there is no reason to hurry into a dangerous electoral process that would most likely endanger Ugandans, while ignoring other alternative solutions that would Grant the nation enough time to heal before heading for the polls.
“You people, let’s be serious. Why rush into an election that’s too dangerous to the lives of the people. Of what use would it be if I die after being voted for. I think there are other alternative ways of halting the elections through a political solution, ” Musumba told this website in a telephone interview on Monday 20.
When asked to explain what she meant when she referred to a political solution, Musumba explained that all what was necessary is to engage the different stakeholders especially Political Parties under the IPOD alliance, and deliberate on how to the country would be governed during the period between the expiry of the current five year political tenure and the time when elections would be held.
She further said that the safety of the people under the current situation should be the first priority for every one, leaders and subjects alike. She added that this should be a time when personal ambitions should be halted in the collective interest of the general public.
” Let’s for once reason like one. Let’s try to cast personal ambitions a side and ensure our collective safety and then think about elections when the right time finally comes. We need elections but we need to live first. It a living person who can vote just as it’s a living person who can be voted for, ” said the perennial Museveni critic.
It however remains to be seen whether Musumba’s position will be bought by the EC which has clearly demonstrated willingness to hold elections next year at all costs, especially with examples from Sierra Leone where elections were successfully held last week amid the Coronavirus scare. In Burundi, program for the general elections meant for later this year and going on uninterrupted.
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