Should Uganda postpone or proceed with the 2021 elections?
By Ivan Munguongeyo
The Covid-19 pandemic poses an additional challenge to electoral processes in Africa and raises concerns
for the holding of free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections, all while ensuring the safety of citizens. A
number of elections have already been conducted across the African continent despite the challenge of
Covid-19. I will try to pinpoint how these elections were done in the different parts of the continent, what
were the outcomes and what can Uganda learn?
In the West African country of Guinea for example, widely criticized parliamentary elections and a
referendum on the Constitution was held in March 2020. The elections were reported not to be free and
fair, it was boycotted by the opposition and the election observer team were absent.
In Burundi, elections were held in May 2020, in which Évariste Ndayishimiye of the ruling CNDD–FDD was
elected president with 71% of the vote. It was reported that the elections were marred by violence, arrest of
opposition members, including candidates and a crackdown of free speech. Furthermore, the elections took
place in a highly repressive environment with no independent international observers.
In Tanzania, since President John Magufuli came into office in 2015, democratic space has
diminished more rapidly than in virtually any other African country. Once seen as a budding democracy with
a widely admired respect for civil liberties, Tanzania now has a government that cracks down on
independent media, opposition parties, and human rights defenders. In the days leading up to the polls, it
was reported that 10 people died in violence in Zanzibar, while major social media networks such as
WhatsApp and Twitter were blocked across Tanzania.
In Burkina Faso, presidential and legislative elections are slated for November 2020, but many delays in
the election organisation process have been observed due to the spread of Covid-19 in a country that is
already fighting against violent extremism. These delays could result in an overall postponement of the
elections.
In Uganda, containment of the spread of Covid-19 has been the most radical in the whole of Africa,
these included amongst others; closure of the borders, ban on public and private transport,
closure of non-essential shops, ban on religious, cultural and political meetings. With the
presidential and parliamentary election slated for 14 th January 2021, the country gradually started
the process of easing down the lockdown through partial opening of certain shops, public transport
allowed at 50 percent, schools were opened for candidate classes amongst others.
By November 12, the country had cumulative 15,402 Covid-19 cases and 144 death reported.
Indeed, a number of prominent politicians have also died as a result of the novel corona virus.
One was Pallisa District Woman MP Faith Alupo who died in September and Kamuli Municipality
MP, Rehema Watongola who succumbed to the virus in November.
The Electoral Commission has been on spotlight as far as conducting this election is concerned.
Human rights bodies, election observers and some Presidential aspirants are dissatisfied with the
way the country is preparing for the elections next year. For example, leaders of National Unity
Platform (NUP)- Robert Kyagulanyi and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) -Patrick Amuriat
Oboi (POA) have on a number of occasions be cried the way the police has handled them and
their supporters during this period.
While, the ruling party NRM leader, President Yoweri Museveni is left to campaign without much
restrictions. This brings in a lot of issues and questions and whether the 2021 elections will be
free and fair. The country can hold a free and fair election during this period, if all candidates are
given equal opportunities to campaign while observing the Covid-19 Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs) as guided by the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Independent Electoral
Commission.
The writer is a Lecturer at Bugema University
