All UPC EALA candidates vetted were technically competent, caucus to choose  

All the 08 candidates turned up and the vetting process involved both the reviewing of documents and face-to-face interviews.

Kampala – July 13, 2022: The race to occupy the top East African legislative seat for the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) aspirants is drawing nearer after an exercise held this week.

The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) will get ‘new lawmakers’ in the coming months when the current term expires later this year.

Unlike UPC, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), and Democratic Party (DP) have named [vetted] and approved their candidates.

The Kampala road-based party has seen eight of its members showing interest to become the EALA MPs. Of the eight, two are former Members of Parliament from the Lango sub-region.

Ebil Fred [former MP, Kole South] and the current party secretary-general, Ediau Samuel, Ogwang Calvin; Oluka Silver, Atim Joy Ongom [former Lira district woman MP, and former aspirant for Lira City Woman MP]; Ojok Anok Isaac; Omiat Andrew J., and Atim Brenda Kinyera were all “technically competent” for the position of Member of Parliament for EALA, Muzeyi Faizo, UPC Head of Communications and Media tells a weekly press briefing on Wednesday.

“Following the first process that saw 08 party members nominated for the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) candidacy, as from 3rd – 8th February 2022, the Cabinet carried out a successful vetting exercise on 11th July 2022 at UPC Headquarters to do a conclusive evaluation of candidates for the job. All the 08 candidates turned up and the vetting process involved both the reviewing of documents and face-to-face interviews. Each candidate was given 05 minutes for self-introduction and 10 minutes for Q&A session,” he added.

After a thorough analysis and scrutiny of the documents as well as attentively listening to all the 08 candidates, Faizo continues that the Vetting Committee which is the Party Cabinet was convinced and unanimously resolved that all the candidates be forwarded to the UPC Parliamentary Group by the office of the Chairman Party Electoral Commission/Assistant Secretary-General for Primaries to get the most suitable candidate as UPC flag bearer for EALA elections. 

UPC promises the candidates that the primary elections will be democratic, free, and fair. “And only one victorious candidate shall be submitted to the floor of Parliament for election as EALA MP,” the head of media said.