Kampala — THE Uganda People's Congress (UPC) yesterday postponed the nomination of Miria Kalule Obote as the party's presidential candidate to today, because they had to sort out some confusion in the supporting signatures.

UPC also postponed the public rally that was scheduled for Kyadondo Rugby Grounds in Lugogo, as well as the launch of the party manifesto and a fundraising dinner, which were scheduled for Equatorial Hotel. All events will now take place today.

Under the Presidential and Parliamentary elections Act, a presidential candidate must be supported by 100 registered voters from each of at least two-thirds of all the districts of Uganda. There are 69 districts.

Benson Ogwang, the UPC youth leader, told disappointed party supporters at Lugogo at 4:30pm yesterday that the rally had to be postponed in order to await the nomination of Miria.

Other sources said UPC had mixed up the names, addresses and signatures of its supporters on the nominations forms and that party secretary general Peter Walubiri and the elections sub-committee were busy sorting everything out.

Ogwang, however, blamed the confusion on the creation of too many new districts.

"We have had a problem with the new districts. The matter has caused a lot of confusion in the minds of our supporters and members. In some parts of Bukedi (Tororo, Pallisa, Busia and Butaleja) for instance, some members did not know to which exact district they belong and so they gave us wrong addresses," said Ogwang.

Butaleja was only recently delinked from Tororo, but an attempt to further divide Tororo has paralysed business because each of the two districts wants to go with the existing headquarters.