Contestants for the party presidency of the country’s oldest political organization will have to part with two million shillings, to be eligible for election.
Speaking to the press at the Democratic Party headquarters in Kampala, while issuing guidelines for the internal party elections, the acting Publicity Secretary, Kenneth Paul Kakande, called upon interested members to pick nomination papers between July 25thand 26th, return them between July 1st and 2nd, after which they will pick accreditation cards to attend the Delegates Conference from the party headquarters on July 15th.
The National Delegates Conference is slated for July 23rd to 26th, at Katomi, Wakiso district, and Kakande said one qualifies for election as a National Chairman, President or Vice chairperson, if he or she has been an active member of the DP for at least 10 years, or a member of the Party Council for at least five years.
He also said that anyone can qualify for any other party office if he or she has been an active member of the party for at least three years.
Meanwhile, Kakande said that members standing for party vice president and vice chairperson will pay shs1.5m. Candidates standing for full offices and regional vice presidency will pay shs1m, deputies and women secretaries will pay Sh. 500,000, regional representatives will pay shs300, 000 and youth leaders, deputies and secretaries will pay shs200, 000, all non-refundable.
He also noted that no member shall be elected if he suffers or has ever suffered from any mental illness. “No member shall be nominated for any office if he has been convicted of corruption or has been declared bankrupt,” he said and added that no member shall be nominated for elections in absence.
Recently party president, Norbert Mao took official leave from the party in February this year because of poor health and it is not known if he will seek nomination.
However, posters of Mao’s candidacy were sighted at the entrance of the party’s headquarters in Kampala.