KAMPALA – The National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has proposed to have presidential candidates declare their assets and liabilities as a requirement to the IGG before contesting for any elective office, a move the party says would be critical in regulating election financing.
While appearing before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee to present their views on electoral reforms tabled by the Executive, on Tuesday, Justine Kasule Lumumba, Secretary-General, NRM also wants every presidential candidate to present their campaign budget to the Electoral Commission during nomination.
Ms Lumumba was responding to a proposed amendment to the Presidential Elections Act that would require candidates to declare their source of financing 14 days after nomination.
“The proposed amendment is necessary as it will help curb interference in our politics by foreign hostile countries or organisations. Furthermore, a candidate must also declare and file before the Electoral Commission as the time of nomination, copy of their budget they intend to use during their campaigns. We opine that candidates should also at the time of nomination to have declared their assets and liabilities before the office of the IGG,” she explained.
However, the proposal was questioned by Medard Sseggona (Busiro East) who queried why the NRM party wants a candidate to be brought under the ambit of the leadership code when they are not yet a leader.
