BY AMBROSE GAHENE
Civil society organizations under their umbrella consortium, Citizen’s Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) last Friday launched the 2021 Elections Report in Kampala, where they cited a number of election irregularities. These included voter bribery, intimidation, ballot staffing and violence at polling stations among others.
Miria Matembe, CCEDU Board Chairperson, said the 2021 Presidential, Parliamentary and recent Speaker of the 11th Parliament elections were a shame to democracy and Ugandans at large. Matembe said the Executive Arm of Government took over the entire Electoral Process and dictated who should be voted for which position.
“The Institution of the Executive took over the one of the Legislature during election of 11th Parliament Speaker. The last elections were an example of the Executive taking over affairs of elections in Uganda”, Maria Matembe said.
Matembe pointed out examples of where names of candidates were mixed up on ballot papers and that political party agents were insufficiently deployed, plus insufficient civic education.
“The electoral process fell short of International Standards for democratic elections”, she added.
CCEDU Executive director, Charity Ahimbisibwe cited low voter turnout during the just concluded Presidential and Parliamentary elections. She said whereas there were 18 million registered voters for the 2021 elections, a total of 7.7 million voters did not turn up to cast their votes because they did not have confidence in the entire electoral process.
“In addition, there was disparity between male and female elected during 2021 elections, where male elected candidates’ numbers were abnormally higher than their female counterparts for all elective positions”, she said. She cited the violence made against Journalists by security personnel, during the visit by National Unity Platform (NUP) Presidential Candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi, to the UN Human Rights Offices, in Kampala as gross violation of Human Rights.
During a Panel discussion, John Mary Odoi, a member of Uganda Peoples’ Congress (UPC), rated the 2021 election 2 out of 10, Andrew Yiga, from Civil Society 2.5 out of 10, Charity Ahimbisibwe, CCEDU executive director, 4 out of 10 while Asuman Basalirwa of JEEMA rated the elections at 4 out of 10.
CCEDU members recommended for advance training of election officials by the Electoral Commission (EC), to avoid election irregularities. They also called for security personnel to distance themselves from electoral processes and called upon the electorate to stop taking financial and other material handouts, in exchange for votes.
