Patrick Oboi Amuriat has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to extend campaigns for further days to cater for his time lost.
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party presidential flag bearer Patrick Oboi Amuriat has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to extend the campaign for further days to cater for his time lost while attending summon meetings.
Last week, the EC summoned Amuriat to appear for a meeting in what the Commission referred to as a continued breach of guidelines aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
Amuriat was supposed to report to the meeting on Monday but he shunned it and sent a team of representatives to attend on his behalf.
These were bounced with the EC insisting that they want to meet the presidential aspirant in person who they later resummoned to appear on Wednesday.
Amuriat on Tuesday held his campaigns in areas of Busoga region including Namutumba, Luuka, Namayingo and Mayuge and said that he is not willing to obey to the EC summon unless they extend his campaign days.
The FDC candidate suggested that if the EC does not want to meet his representatives and lawyers then they should allow him to attend the meeting via video conferencing.
“The EC should not be the ones who command us to go where they want us to go. It’s really the question of the mountain going to (Prophet) Muhammad. I think it’s completely wrong. If they really want to have a direct conversation with me, they can either find me in the field where we can spend an hour rather than spending the whole day travelling,” Amuriat noted.
“With modern technology, we can have a Zoom meeting and agree. Most importantly, I have an official agent who is supposed to act on the behalf of the agent himself so if the Electoral Commission has concerns, then my agent will go meet with them accompanied by my lawyer and they answer the questions they want to ask me.”
Amuriat also, mentioned that the EC can disqualify him if they want. He, however, stressed that it would be unfair to disqualify a candidate because they have views contrary to those of the EC.
“They can disqualify me if they want. This is a struggle and we are not here to serve the whims of the Electoral Commission but to liberate this country. The struggle would continue but it would be extremely unfair to disqualify a candidate on that account,” Amuriat said.
Meanwhile, the EC last week also summoned the National Unity Platform presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine over the same issues.
Just like Amuriat, Kyagulanyi also first shunned the Monday meeting and sent a team on his behalf. The Commission directed the NUP candidate to appear on Tuesday in person.
Kyagulanyi did not disappoint at around 10 am he had arrived at the EC headquarters together with a team of other NUP officials. During the meeting, he called for the EC boss to resign if he cannot guarantee fair elections.
It, however, remains unclear whether Amuriat will also obey to EC’s summon.
