It is 54 days today since the presidential campaigns kicked off but Revolutionary People’s Party (RPP) presidential candidate, Frank Bulira, hasn’t started canvassing for support in order to win the country’s topmost job. RPP which is linked to fallen cardiologist and fierce government critic says up to now, the government through the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) hasn’t open their accounts to access the money for campaigns.
Joshua Clinton Kaswabuli, one of RPP founders and currently serving as National Chairperson explains that negotiations with the government to unfreeze their accounts are moving at a snail pace leaving their candidate financially stranded.
Kaswabuli believes the government is worried about them because they are a liberation movement and that why their campaigns have been frustrated on what he terms as funny reasons such as the source of their money. “We continuing with the negotiations and we hope soon a positive decision will be reached. But our good amount of money was frozen. Even our campaign material including t-shirts, capes and posters haven’t been given back to us,” Kaswabuli said.
Frank Bulira is one of the eight presidential candidates including incumbent Yoweri Museveni contesting on NRM card, Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine contesting in NUP ticket, James Nathaniel Nandala Mafabi on FDC ticket. Other presidential candidates include Gregg Mugisha Muntu Oyera vying on ANT card, Mubarak Munyagwa on CMP card, Elton Joseph Mabirizi on CP ticket, and Robert Kasibante on Peasants Party.
Julius Mucunguzi, the Electoral Commission Spokesperson, said they cannot intervene in the financial matters of political parties or candidates. Mucunguzi said if they dared to engage in financial issues of candidates, they would not succeed since there are more than 83,000 candidates for various elective positions starting from councilors.
“The Electoral Commission is not mandated to be a debt collector or facilitator for any candidate to obtain money from anyone,” Mucunguzi said. Efforts to speak to FIA were futile as our calls were not picked nor returned. It is not clear when FIA will reach agreement with RPP and release the money to aid Presidential candidate Bulira start his campaigns. The candidates are expected by today to have covered more than 70 districts.