Covid-19 might change date of elections - Museveni

President Museveni has said it will be dangerous to conduct the 2021 General Election if the coronavirus pandemic is not contained by July.
“If the virus can stop by June or July, we can have the elections. We don’t have to have a long campaign time, it is easy to organise. If it doesn’t, it is very dangerous. Countries like Iran went on with the elections when the virus was still around and it caused a lot of problems, it is very dangerous,” the President said during an interview aired by NBS television on Monday.

Asked if there is a possibility of postponing the elections because of the pandemic, Mr Museveni said: “If it is still there, it will be madness to continue. I don’t think it will be wise to go on.”
Government has since March restricted movement, including imposing curfew between 7pm and 6am, and stopped transport and public gatherings - measures it hopes will contain the spread of the virus.

During the interview, the President also said Lt Gen (Rtd) Henry Tumukunde, the former Security minister, was not arrested for declaring his interest to stand against him in the 2021 polls but engaging in what he termed as subversive activities.
“People who want to run against me are not arrested. Tumukunde went beyond that. You never heard Ssebaana Kizito (RIP) being arrested, Maama Miria (Obote) being arrested. [Kawanga] Ssemwongerere, we don’t agree politically but his politics doesn’t mix with subversion. It is those who hide under politics to do subversion. We have facts… It is because they mix subversion with politics,” Mr Museveni said.

“Recently this man [Kyadondo East MP Robert] Kyagulanyi also came up that he wants to be president. The reason as to why some of these are arrested is because they are always trying to mix politics and subversion as I said. But Tumukunde’s case is before the court and I can’t comment much about it,” he added.
Lt Gen Tumukunde is facing charges of treason and being in unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. He is currently out on bail.
Earlier this year, he wrote to the Electoral Commission seeking permission to consult Ugandans about his presidential bid.
But on March 12, a team of operatives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence arrested him from his Kololo office in Kampala.

Mr Museveni also said he was still fit to run for elections, adding that the only succession plan is enshrined in the Constitution.
“I am fit for the election. But more importantly, I am fit for myself... We had to come to the politics because the political leaders had failed in 1966. Have we finished the programme of NRM? If the programme is not yet finished, why are you worried about all of us contributing to finish it?” Mr Museveni said.
Bugiri Municipality MP Asumani Basalirwa told Daily Monitor that postponing an election can only be done if the President declares a state of emergency or amending the Constitution to provide for an elastic tenure for the president and the parliamentarians.

“As Opposition, this is the time for us to use other technological means and move to different media houses asking for space and time to air out our issues. We shall not just sit back and wait for what may come,” he added.
Article 77(4) of the Constitution stipulates: “Where there exists a state of war or a state of emergency which would prevent a normal general election from being held, Parliament may, by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of all members of Parliament, extend the life of Parliament for a period not exceeding six months at a time.”

Mr Chrispin Kaheru, the former coordinator of Citizen Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda, said the incumbents are the driving wheel of the taskforce at the district and national level which gives them an advantage under the circumstances.
“It is very likely that we will have the 2021 general elections under the circumstances. The opposition has got to be very innovative. They need to leverage technology and media to access citizens under the circumstances. They can record their messages and disseminate them via social media applications like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter or better (and more realistic) still share messages and receive feedback via the numerous community radio stations,” Mr Kaheru said.
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