CEC vets candidates for NRM top offices today

Stakes are high as the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party sits at State House in Entebbe today to endorse President Museveni as the party’s presidential flag bearer and national chairperson and also pick candidates for other party positions ahead of delegates conference next week.

Mr Museveni is unopposed on both positions after being declared by NRM electoral commission chairperson, Dr Tanga Odoi, on July 28 when he was declared duly nominated without a competitor. He will be vetted by CEC and the National Executive Committee (NEC) as per the party constitution before the delegates conference hands him the flag on August 19.

However, all the other eight positions for the NRM vice chairpersons are competitive.
The CEC, the NRM governance organ, will vet the candidates nominated by the party’s electoral commission and pick the final list of the most eligible who will be forwarded to the delegates conference for final approval.

According to the guidelines signed by the NRM Secretary General, Ms Justine Kasule Lumumba, any person to be vetted for election by the conference, must be a registered member of the party, has no case before the party’s disciplinary committee and has no criminal record.

With the party extending the term of office for the leagues and organs at all levels as a way of abiding by the regulations for political parties and organisations meetings under the Health ministry Covid-19 guidelines, only nine positions were put up for elections. They are: national chairperson, first national vice chairperson, second national vice chairperson (female), regional vice chairpersons for Karamoja, Eastern, central, Kampala, western and northern.

The CEC is comprised of the party’s national chairperson, first National vice chairperson, second national vice chairperson (female), six regional vice chairpersons; secretary general, national treasurer, deputy secretary general, deputy national treasurer, chairperson of NRM Parliamentary Caucus, all chairpersons of the National Special League Committees, chairpersons of Commissions, and such number of national secretaries and deputy national secretaries as NEC may determine.

Any of the above officials who is running for a position will also not take part in the vetting process to avoid conflict of interest.

Addressing the media, Mr Odoi said more than 40 aspirants who will converge at the party headquarters on Kyadondo Road, will interact with CEC which will be seated at State House Entebbe via Zoom conferencing.

“Candidates who are members of CEC will attend CEC until voting starts. CEC will be interacting with candidates to ask a few questions on how they have contributed to the party, their track record in the party and their track record in synergies with communities and loyalty issues,” he said.

Additional reporting by Stephen Otage

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