The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga has formed a 20 member committee to verify all candidates vying for seats in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
Up to 48 candidates are competing for the nine slots. They include 38 independent candidates, six members of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party and two members of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). Democratic Party (DP) and Uganda People's Congress (UPC) have also fielded one candidate each.
These will now be subjected to verification by a committee which will be chaired by Ntungamo Woman MP Beatrice Rwakimari. The other members of the committee are Bubulo West MP Rose Mutonyi Masaba, Maracha Woman MP Ayaka Rose Atima, Adjumani Woman MP Jessica Ababiku, Jie County MP Adome Moses Bildad and Worker's MP Dr Sam Lyomoki.
Also nominated to serve on the same committee are Western Youth MP Mwine Mpaka, National Female PWD MP Safia Nalule Jjuuko, Bukoto East MP Florence Namayanja, Kapchorwa Woman MP Rukia Chekamondo, Oyam Woman MP Santa Alum, Gulu Woman MP Betty Aol Ochan and Jinja Municipality West MP Moses Balyeku, among others.
While naming the committee in today's afternoon plenary session, Kadaga directed the committee to verify all nominees and applicants who are independent of any political parties and ensure that they meet all the requirements for election to the regional Parliament.
She said that elections for representatives to the regional assembly must be carried out 90 days before the expiry of the current assembly. The current EALA term expires in June. Based on the deadline, Kadaga said that by March 6, 2017, parliament should have selected and gazetted Uganda's representatives to the Arusha based Assembly.
The committee is mandate to scrutinize the candidates and ensure that they are citizens of Uganda, registered voters, of sound mind and not under any sentence of death or under imprisonment exceeding nine months.
The Speaker urged the Committee to work expeditiously and report back to parliament by February 20. Elections will be held on February 27 and 28, 2017. Members of Parliament form the electorate.
