The US ambassador to Uganda H.E. Richard Nelson is cautioning Uganda against orchestrating events that might cause violence in the coming general election in 2021.
Speaking at a high level dialogue on 2021 general elections today in Kampala organized by the NGO forum, Nelson reminded Uganda that violent elections come along with high costs which are very hard and expensive to pay and urges Uganda to look forward to having a peaceful election.
To achieve this, the United States is calling on the government of Uganda to hold a peaceful, transparent, free and fair election as this will maintain and boost economic and social development of Uganda.
He further demands that the result must reflect the will of the people as this will exhibit Uganda as a true democratic country.
He also reminds Ugandans that its every one’s responsibility to have a credible, peaceful and transparent election in 2021.
But the UN human rights special rapporteur to Uganda, Margaret Ssekajja is asking the electoral commission to take full charge of the exercise and not allow the security organs and the incumbent take over its mandate and powers if the country is to have a peaceful election.
Ssekajja in reference to the 1996 commission, she stated that the then commission chairman Stephen Akabwai took charge of the country and was giving directions on how political parties would behave and was the one to permit police or any security organ to speak or give orders.
“We actually used to joke telling him that he was the president then following the powers he had then.” Said. Ssekajja.
She further advised the judiciary to set up better and prepared systems to handle any electoral petitions as they come before them.
On several occasions the police has been seen giving directives to candidates mainly on the opposition on what and not what to do as they move around the country campaigning and this has resulted into running battles between them and the supporters of these candidates.
