The Ugandan military chief has said that it will not be deterred from participating in securing the forthcoming elections if called upon by the police, local media reported on Monday.

"If the IGP (Inspector General of Police) needs us (army), the Uganda People's Defense Force UPDF) would be on standby with the necessary numbers, capacity and mobility to ensure that elections are not disrupted," Chief of Defense Force General Aronda Nyakairima said at the launch of the "code of conduct for security personnel during an electoral process" here on Sunday.

According to the code, security personnel are barred from holding party cards, election materials.

"Our country cannot degenerate into chaos at all. Whatever will convince the people, will take the votes. No one will have the excuse that elections were not held because there was anarchy. There cannot be anarchy. We shall have peace and nothing short of that," Aronda said.

Meanwhile, IGP Major General Kale Kayihura said that the code bans security personnel from overtly participating in partisan political activities, influencing voters, entering the perimeter for secret voting.

The pocket-size code of six pages was designed by the Election Security Coordinating Committee with sponsorship from the Election Support Unit of the Partners for Democracy and Governance.

Uganda will hold presidential, parliamentary and local governments elections on February 23, 2006.

Source: Xinhua