DP to fund flag-bearers posters, nomination fees

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Democratic Party (DP) President Norbert Mao has announced that the party will meet the nomination fees for all its flag bearers and also print campaign posters for them. But there is a catch.

DP secretary general Gerald Siranda says that anybody who will be elected as the party’s flag bearer will be made to sign commitment letters which will be taken to the Electoral Commission in order to stop them from being nominated on the ticket of other parties.

MPs across the political divide have incessantly been complaining about ‘high’ nomination fees. Announcing the ‘generous’ offer at the party campaign headquarters located at Balintuma road in Mengo, Norbert Mao said that in this era of scientific campaigns, it is important to support their flag bearers. According to guidelines by the Electoral Commission, a presidential candidate pays 20 million  Shillings while a parliamentary candidate pays three million Shillings as nomination fees.

Mao said that so far, over 100 MP aspirants have expressed willingness to stand on the DP ticket. This means the DP is immediately ready to spend at least 300 million Shillings on aspirants’ nominations. Last week, the National Resistance Movement announced that it was going buy media space and airtime for all its candidates across the country.

DP has been in the eye of the storm in recent weeks after 10 of its 15 MPs crossed over to the National Unity Platform headed by Kyadondo East MP Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi. Mao said that as a party, they are going to fill all the vacant positions left behind by its former members. He called upon all those who would be given the party flag to stay focused and not to listen to whoever wants to ‘confuse’ them.

DP has extended up to Monday next week the process of picking and returning nomination forms for Parliamentary aspirants. It is after Monday that the date for primaries will be announced especially in areas where there is more than one contestant. The party is to also hold its national delegates conference from September 10 to 12 in which it will renew the national leadership.

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