Background Briefing

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Recommendations

To the Ugandan Government

  • Clearly and publicly commit to abide by the election results;

  • Publicly and promptly condemn any violence and intimidation by NRM-O party supporters and call on party members and supporters to act in accordance with the law;

  • Respect the right of independent candidates to stand for election, and their right to do so without intimidation or interference; 

  • Respect the freedom of the press and withdraw charges against journalists;

  • Respect and enforce the Presidential Elections Act and the Parliamentary Elections Act of 2005 and the minimum broadcasting standards in the Electronic Media Act of 1996 regarding equal access to the media for all political parties;

  • Respect and enforce the Parliamentary Elections Act and the Presidential Elections Act of 2005 regarding use of government resources for campaigning;

  • Suspend all resettlement of internally displaced persons until after the elections;

  • Ensure sufficient police or other mandated personnel are available to provide adequate security at polling stations, and that mandated personnel are appropriate for the purpose;

  • Ensure the army remains impartial and takes no part in campaigning or supervising the electoral process, except to provide general security in combat areas; and

  • Respect the ruling of the Constitutional Court of January 31, 2006 (Petition no.18 of 2005) and return to civilian jurisdiction all those wrongly charged in military courts, including the twenty-two individuals charged with terrorism along with Dr. Besigye.

    To the Opposition Parties

  • Publicly and promptly condemn any violence by party supporters and call on party members and supporters to act in accordance with the law;

  • Report all cases of intimidation, violence or other electoral malpractice to the police and the Electoral Commission as appropriate; and

  • Report all human rights violations to the Uganda Human Rights Commission.

    To the Electoral Commission

  • Promptly, impartially and thoroughly investigate all election-related offences;

  •  Verify the entire voter register using photographic identification software, not just “hot spots”; and

  • Investigate credible allegations of false registration and inflation of the voter register, particularly in districts where controversies have arisen, such as the districts of Ntungamo and Hoima.

    To the Governments of the European Union, Norway and the United States

  • Impress upon the Ugandan government the importance of ensuring free and fair elections and election campaigns at all levels of government; and

  • Urge the Ugandan government to respect the ruling of the Constitutional Court of January 31, 2006 and to return to civilian jurisdiction all those wrongly charged in military courts, including the 22 individuals charged with treason along with Dr. Besigye.

    To International and Local Election Observers

  • Take into account the entire election process when assessing the elections, including the following issues: pre-election human rights abuses, intimidation, media bias, and misuse of government resources; and

  • Be alert to the potential vulnerabilities of the election process caused by inadequate policing and an inaccurate voter register.

    To the Lord’s Resistance Army

  • Respect the right of Ugandans to exercise their democratic rights, free from intimidation and other unlawful interference.



    <<previous  |  index  |  next>>February 2006