Why NRM postponed CEC meeting

KAMPALA- The National Resistance Movement (NRM) says it called off yesterday’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting, to study guidelines that the Ministry of Justice tabled before Parliament last week for political parties to participate in the 2021 General Election.

The meeting, which was scheduled for yesterday, was rescheduled to Thursday this week to allow the party legal team to study the guidelines that were tabled.

“We did not know that Parliament was passing regulations by the Ministry of Justice to enable political parties participate in the elections without offending the Covid-19 guidelines,” Mr Emmanuel Dombo, the director communications at the NRM secretariat, said.

He explained that following the passing of the new regulations by Parliament last week, the NRM legal team is drafting new regulations for the CEC to come up with a comprehensive framework under which it will conduct its party primaries.
“The legal team is examining whether to adopt the open voting method, video conferencing or any other system they agree with. The Electral Commission taking into account what the NRM constitution says,” he said.

Yesterday, this newspaper saw a letter written by the NRM secretary general, Ms Justine Kasule Lumumba, to all the members of the NRM CEC announcing the postponement of yesterday’s meeting.

“I have been directed by the NRM national chairperson to communicate to you the postponement of the CEC meeting earlier scheduled for July 12 at State House starting at 10:00am. The CEC meeting will now take place on July 16 starting at 12:00 noon,” the letter reads.

Just like other political parties, the ruling NRM party is caught up in a dilemma of how to open up the political party campaign activities amid the Covid-19 guidelines which have curtailed several freedoms of movement and association.
The current Covid-19 prevention and social distancing guidelines, prohibit mass gatherings and yet political party campaigns largely rely on huge masses.