International observers give Uganda elections mixed bill of health

{INTERNATIONAL election observers have given the presidential election in Uganda last Thursday a mixed bill of health with the European Union and Commonwealth groups describing it as ‘’short of being free and fair’’ while African monitors praised the exercise.}

Incumbent President Yoweri Museveni was declared a winner on Saturday, polling 60 per cent of the votes against 35 per cent of his closest contestant, Dr Kiiza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).

Dr Besigye, who has contested for presidency in vain since 2001, slammed the results as a fraud and appealed to the international community not to recognise them.

The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM), who condemned the actions of the police prior to voting and on polling day, commended the voters’ enthusiasm to participate in the election process, citing their active involvement in the campaigns and the long hours they queued up waiting to vote.

The EU observers said this enthusiasm in the democratic process, however, was eclipsed by an atmosphere of intimidation and further concluded that the Election Commission lacks the required independence and transparency, which explains why “it does not have the trust of the stakeholders.”

The various election mission observer groups invited by the government to monitor the 2016 presidential and parliamentary polls yesterday issued their preliminary assessments of the Thursday polls, which offered a number of key pointers.

“On Friday, while the national tally centre was announcing the preliminary results of the presidential polls and the political parties were still following tallying and collecting data from their agents in the field, the police stormed FDC’s party headquarters using tear gas and arrested Dr Besigye and the party’s leadership. This extensive use of police force was not acceptable,” notes the EU-EOM chief observer Eduard Kukan in a statement.

The EU-EOM report also pointed out the intimidation and harassment of the opposition and its supporters by police, the conduct of state-owned Uganda Broadcasting Corporation by denying Opposition air space.

While the polls were conducted in a generally peaceful and calm environment in the various parts of the country, Mr Kukan noted that the National Resistance Movement’s “domination of the political landscape distorted the fairness of the campaign.

Speaking at the same event, the head of the European Parliament, Jo Leinen, who joined the EU-EOM to monitor the elections, observed that going back to two previous reports they had issued, “it was clear the same recommendations had been made, were not acted upon”.

The head of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) mission, Mr Ashraf Gamal Rashed, and other African observer groups said security was adequately deployed to secure polling stations and their duties were performed in a proper manner.

The East African Community (EAC) mission led by former Tanzanian president Mr Ali Hassan Mwinyi said they were still monitoring the process and would issue a final report of their assessment. Meanwhile, President Museveni celebrated extending his three decades in power with a walk with his cows, after an election rejected as fraudulent by the opposition and criticised by the international community.

Pictures released by the Ugandan government showed a relaxed Museveni walking in the midst of his long-horn cattle and chatting with their herders, wielding a stick and wearing his trademark wide-brimmed hat.

Another photograph showed the 71-year-old leader surrounded by his family. After the chaotic election, which returned him to a fifth term in office, Museveni said he planned to “go for my cross-country walk to exercise and then go to my cows.” Born in western Uganda to a cattle-rearing family, he has always said he plans to be a herder on his retirement.

While Museveni succeeded to extend his rule of the east African country, over a dozen influential ministers lost their parliamentary seats. Among them were defense minister Crispus Kiyonga, who is spearheading regional efforts to end the political crisis in Burundi, and attorney general Fred Ruhindi. Despite the controversy, several African leaders extended their congratulations.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta wished Museveni “every success as he serves his nation for another term”, while Burundi’s embattled President Pierre Nkurunziza offered his “warmest congratulations” for the “well-deserved re-election.”

President Museveni was chosen by fellow leaders of the East African Community (EAC) last year as a key mediator for wrangling parties in Burundi.

Source:Daily News:[International observers give Uganda elections mixed bill of health->http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/home-news/47198-international-observers-give-uganda-elections-mixed-bill-of-health]