UPC announces election date as Akena boycotts

KAMPALA- The leadership of Uganda Peoples Congress party yesterday set June 12 as the date to elect a new party president with former aspirant Jimmy Akena distancing himself from the process.

Mr Akena, son of UPC’s founding president Apollo Milton Obote, said the process being conducted to elect a new party leader was illegal and in contravention of the party’s constitution and the laws governing the country.

“I am contesting for UPC president but the current process was conducted when there is an existing court injunction. As a law-abiding citizen, I could not participate,”

Despite his (Akena’s) announcement that he was offering his candidature for UPC presidency on March 17, Mr Akena’s name was conspicuously absent from the list of the seven candidates released by the the party EC chairman Canon Andrew Nyote.

Already, seven candidates have expressed interest to contest for one of the country’s oldest party’s top office.

They include the current party national chairperson, Prof Edward Kakonge, the party’s vice president Joseph Bossa, Moroto County legislator Benson Obua Ogwal, Lira District party chairman Dan Okello, the former Director General of the External Security Organisation, Mr David Pulkol, and Mr Sam Wandeka Musamali.
Mr Akena said he will only participate in a process which is transparent.

The petition
On April 9, Mr Otunnu issued a road map that would culminate in UPC holding a National Council and Delegates Conference for the election of party leaders, including the party president.

Mr Otunnu at the same event appealed to Maj (rtd) Edward Rurangaranga to withdraw a court injunction, which blocked all the party activities.
Mr Rurangaranga declined Mr Otunnu’s request then and still held the same view when Daily Monitor contacted him yesterday.

“These people who picked the papers are engaged in an illegality so whether they call a press conference and say what, it does not change the law.”
But UPC lawyer Charles Dalton Opwonya says Mr Rurangaranga’s injunction expired longtime ago and he was trying to hinge

Timeline

• April 20 to 24: Processing applications from aspiring candidates
• April 27 to May 14: Presidential candidates canvassing for District Conference endorsement
• May 16: District conferences convene to consider nominating party Presidential candidates
• May 18 to May 22: PEC processes and verifies results received from district conferences
• May 23 to June 8: National Campaign period for presidential candidates
• June 10 to June 11: Holding National Council session
• June 12: Delegates Conference and election of new party president