Dear Election Observers,
We are writing to highlight urgent concerns Human Rights Watch has about the integrity and fairness of Uganda’s February 23 elections. Most of the concerns are set forth in our February 13 report, In Hope and Fear: Uganda’s Presidential and Parliamentary Polls. In this letter we highlight the main points and urge you and domestic and international observers to take them into consideration when conducting your important work.
Human Rights Watch calls on all election observers to proactively investigate any undue interference with the electoral process, remaining mindful of pre-election conditions that have tilted the playing field in favor of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), the “Movement,” which has controlled the government and dominated Ugandan politics for the past twenty years. The NRM’s unequal access to resources, incidents of violence and intimidation against opposition supporters, and selective prosecutions of opposition leaders have undermined the fairness of the vote.
Human Rights Watch encourages election observers to consider the following:
Unequal Access to State Resources
Uganda’s elections on February 23 are multi-party contests in a single-party state. The “Movement” structure (the former single-party) continues to exist and to receive direct funding from the state. Despite the enactment of multi-party legislation in November 2005, the NRM party continues to have access to the “Movement” office buildings, vehicles, communications equipment, personnel and budget. The law requires broadcasters to provide equal access and equal coverage to all political parties, but the state-run Ugandan Broadcasting Corporation has devoted six times more coverage to the incumbent party than to all the other political parties combined, according to media monitors.
Violence and Intimidation
In nine out of Uganda’s sixty-nine districts, Human Rights Watch documented fifty-eight cases of intimidation or violence by state security agents or NRM activists against members or supporters of the opposition. Human Rights Watch also received credible reports of dozens more cases from reliable Ugandan human rights organizations, such as the Foundation for Human Rights Initiatives (FHRI) and the Democracy Monitoring Group (DEM Group), which have deployed election monitors throughout the country. Human Rights Watch urges international observers to coordinate with their Ugandan counterparts, who are well informed about human rights violations in each district and sub-county. In some areas, activists from the main opposition party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) have threatened and used violence against supporters of the NRM. As of February 1, the police were investigating cases of intimidation and violence by the NRM in twenty-two districts and by the opposition in six.
Guarding the Polls
The lack of sufficient police to supervise 20,000 polling stations is a major area of concern, as only 15,000 police are available. To fill the gap, Local Defence Units (LDUs) and government-funded militias will be deployed. Members of the LDUs are selected by the Resident District Commissioner in each district. These commissioners are appointed by President Yoweri Museveni, who is the founder of the “Movement” system and is NRM’s candidate for president. The commander of the Arrow Boys militia is a government minister and NRM candidate for re-election to Parliament. The Arrow Boys militia has committed human rights abuses, and their commitment to impartiality is doubtful. Human Rights Watch urges all election observers to pay close attention to the following concerns on election day:
- The conduct of non-police security forces at and around polling stations, such as the Arrow Boys and Local Defence Units.
- Intimidation and violence by party activists.
- The objectivity of presiding officers at polling stations in allowing people to vote when they do not have a voter card or when the accuracy of the register is in dispute.
- The integrity of vote counting and tallying at all levels.
In Hope and Fear: Uganda’s Presidential and Parliamentary Polls, is available at: www.hrw.org/backgrounder/africa/uganda0206.
Sincerely,
Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Director
Human Rights Watch, Africa Division
