The Democratic Party (DP) will in August vet more than 180 aspirants seeking the party flag for parliamentary positions ahead of the 2026 general elections.
The exercise will be conducted during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting slated for August 15–16, 2025, according to the DP Secretary General, Gerald Siranda.
Addressing journalists at the party headquarters in Rubaga Division on Tuesday, Siranda said the meeting will be the first since the recent delegates’ conference and will also orient the newly elected NEC members.
“We shall have 54 new NEC members taken through the party’s strategic plan, and we shall vet all those seeking the party flag. So far, over 180 people have applied for parliamentary positions,” he said.
The NEC, which also serves as the party’s disciplinary committee, will handle disputes and unresolved issues arising from the delegates’ conference and other internal matters.
“The disciplinary committee of the party is the NEC. It will handle serious disciplinary issues. Article 8(i) of the DP Constitution states that no member shall take the party to court before exhausting internal remedies through the NEC process,” Siranda added.
Siranda revealed that all sitting Members of Parliament on the DP ticket will not be subjected to party primaries, having been granted a waiver by the party’s leadership.
“We are giving a waiver to all incumbent MPs who want to contest again. They will not go through primaries. As DP, we are committed to supporting all our candidates through nomination support, campaign materials, and mobilization,” he said.
He also urged members and supporters to step up fundraising efforts to ensure smooth campaign operations for party flag bearers.
The DP’s internal vetting exercise comes at a time when political parties across Uganda are racing to conclude their primaries and identify flag bearers ahead of the 2026 general polls.
According to the Electoral Commission roadmap, nominations for parliamentary candidates will be conducted on September 16–17, 2025, while presidential nominations are scheduled for September 23–24, 2025.
