Rupiah Banda, head of Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) mission makes a number of comments on the 2016 electoral process in Uganda.
“The 2016 elections took place against backdrop of incidents of violence and intimidation.
The elections considered the most competitive in Uganda since 2005. M7, Besigye & Mbabazi received most attention.
Senior NRM members who lost in primaries & chose to stand as independents in defiance of party rules raised stakes
Timing of increase in nomination fees didn’t give many aspirants time to raise the required fees
Senior members of the police and army made partisan statements, impacting negatively on public confidence in them
Lack of clarity about crime preventers’ role in the electoral process contributed to fear and uncertainty
EISA regrettably noted the detention of Kizza Besigye and other members of FDC
The EISA commends the high level of patience exhibited by the Ugandan populace in this period.”
European Union observers declined to conclude whether elections were ‘free & fair’
