The former presidential candidate prof Venansius Baryamureeba has called upon Electoral Commission to gazette more time to allow presidential contestants to carry out campaigns.
Speaking to the media over the weekend, Baryamureeba raised his concerns for the purposes of having free and fair elections in Uganda.
Baryamureeba who was also among the 8 presidential aspirants in the 2016 general elections recalled what he went through while looking for votes across different parts of the country. He said the time that was allocated by EC to carry out campaigns was practically limited.
“We were given 90 days including weekends but the districts were many and we couldn’t cover all of them so it was disadvantaging us,” he said.
He asked the electoral commission to consider extending election campaign periods at least 8 months.
“And I am insisting for 8 months because I campaigned last time we never had even holiday we had to go in two districts in one day because time was not enough,” he said.
He noted that candidates had limited time to consult before launching their presidential bids. Currently Kyadondo East member of parliament Robert Kyagulanyi commonly known as Bobi Wine is consulting electorates as he prepares to contest in move that any candidate seeks for the views of the people they want to serve
However ,police faulted his consultation meetings on allegations of not fulfilling some of the requirements in the public order management act.
Baryamureeba said congratulations is very important asking the electoral commission to make the political ground leveled.
He also said that it was wrong for police to block Bobi wine’s consultative meetings.
