Democratic Party (DP), the country’s oldest political party, will on Wednesday release its list of parliamentary aspirants for the 2026 elections while keeping the process open for new entrants.
Party president and Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs Norbert Mao told reporters that 230 aspirants have so far applied to contest on the DP ticket, alongside a record number of candidates for local council positions.
‘The full list will be out Wednesday, and we left our processes open because, as always, DP has been a political orphanage. We are releasing a preliminary list as we are still receiving applications from new candidates,’ Mao said.
He explained that candidate selection is guided by four criteria: ‘the journey of the candidate, their values, education, and skills.’
‘In DP, education is very important because we live in a global world. Our candidates must be able to represent us internationally, not those who spend their time shopping without understanding the issues being discussed,’ he said.
Mao stressed that the party now has representation even in districts where it previously had none, citing Oyam and Kwania.
‘I accept to be the chief campaigner for DP, and I am going to hit the road to face those who have been threatening our candidates. They have no reason to disturb DP candidates,’ he added.
The minister urged cooperation with the ruling government in educating citizens about their roles, while condemning threats against DP aspirants.
‘Education matters. We need to know people’s skills and academic level, not just pick individuals who have done nothing for the country. The biggest ‘skill’ some people think they have is insulting the government, which is useless,’ he added.
Mao said DP also considers the social connections of candidates to ensure voters are aware of their true character.
‘We have not closed our list of parliamentary candidates because we still have room to listen to people with good cases. All pretenders in Uganda politics will be exposed,’ he said.
Reflecting on the recent months, he said the party had been ‘purified’ and retained true believers. He advised those who lost in primaries not to run as independents.
‘Contesting as an independent is like driving a car without a number plate – if it crashes, how do you report? The election is ultimately a choice between two people. Candidates should focus on serving all citizens, not just themselves,’ Mao said.
Mao has already announced that he will not contest for the presidency in the 2026 general elections.