Preventing Election Violence in Uganda

Policy Brief 006 MASSIVE VOTER EDUCATION AS A PIVOTAL PREVENTIVE TOOL TO VIOLENCE IN 2021 ELECTIONS IN UGANDA; A QUESTION OF ELECTION FUNDING By Kayemba Joseph Luttamaguzi JohnBosco Kiberu Jonah Kibira Vicent September 2020 Preventing Election Violence in Uganda www.gatewayresearchcentre.org Executive Statement candidates or aspirants, special even in the post-election periods as a Voter education is an important interest groups such as youth, result of candidates being dissatisfied women, People with Disabilities and aspect that promotes the credibility with the election results, voter other stakeholders. To avoid of an election as it empowers bribery, vote rigging and other forms committing the same mistakes and of election fraud. citizens with knowledge on how to ferocity over and over, massive voter exercise their right to vote in any Uganda’s elections have been education is not optional and huge election with acceptable voter commercialized and are presumed funding must be accorded priority. behaviour and integrity. In the to be an investment for returns with a minimum investment period of previous General Elections in Candidates and aspirants should five years and unknown payback strictly follow the guidelines of the Uganda, violence was cited at period and thus losing an election is almost every level of election. Electoral Commission and have seen as though it is a taboo. voter safety and security Election periods are critical Voters are used to handouts and management plans approved by the moments that need a tactical petty gifts like sugar, soap, maize Electoral Commission in order to approach to register free, fair, safe flour, beans, cooking oil and other maximize the safety and credibility and secure elections. It is the consumables in exchange for their of 2021 elections. mandate of the Electoral votes. Failure to give out these BACKGROUND AND Commission to organize, conduct Background and Introduction handouts by the aspiring candidate INTRODUCTION and supervise free and fair elections. may result into no success registered. Article 1 of the Constitution of This trend kicks out competent but The Covid-19 pandemic situation Uganda provides that “All power financially handicapped would-be has dictated the scientific manner in belongs to the people who shall leaders from the political race but which the 2021 elections have to be exercise their sovereignty in only to choose incapable though organized by embracing and accordance with the constitution”, financially strong candidates. Voters observing all the Standard Operating and that is; “The people shall are so ignorant about the Procedures(SOPs) emphasized by express their will and consent on consequences of voting incompetent the Ministry of Health in Uganda so who shall govern them and how they leaders, the adverse effects of voter as to permit secure and safe should be governed through regular, fraud and electing opportunists. They elections. This necessitates the use free and fair elections of their are naive of what to consider before of law enforcement officers during representatives or referenda”. The choosing candidates who are not elections coupled with the massive Electoral Commission (EC) has the suitable for high profile leadership civic education even on the polling mandate to organize, conduct and positions. Voters are used as vessels days to minimize election violence. supervise free and fair elections. This for political success and later on Sensitization should be extended to is usually done after five years under dumped. Voters are the major all stakeholders including the normal circumstances. The election victims as they sometimes lose their electorates, polling officers, security period in Uganda is such exciting but lives while fighting for their dear agencies, election observers, tensional. Sometimes elections are candidates. One of the causes of this, marred by chaos and irregularities is the insufficient voter education. 2 www.gatewayresearchcentre.org For an election to be successful and voter education in Uganda. In the elections expecting huge returns democratic, voters must; (i) recently concluded party primaries, upon political success. Aspiring understand their rights and malpractices and violence were candidates are the masterminds of responsibilities (ii) have sufficient intense. Perpetrators of violence election violence since they lead knowledge of the election process were imprisoned and some sustained their electorates to violence upon following the election road map and injuries. These consequences dissatisfaction. Practices of (iii) understand the roles and indicate that there is need for sectarianism, malice, defacing acceptable voter behaviour before, massive voter education as the posters, abusing others, beatings and during and after elections. pivotal preventive tool to 2021 other demeanors reduce the election violence because Uganda credibility of elections. „In every general election, the needs free, fair, secure and safe Electoral Commission usually Election violence especially in urban credible elections. This has always endeavours to improve its centers of Kampala, Wakiso, Jinja, been and still remains the major goal performance and service delivery Arua, Bushenyi, Mbarara, Mbale, of the Electoral Commission. Gulu, Lira and in suburbs and though there is always insufficient funding to have the best level of trading centres, involves fighting Election violence in Uganda voter education which accentuates such as between voters (voter to To win elections in Uganda, it has the existence of several controllable voter), voter to election officials, become a ‘do or die’ scenario. loopholes in pre, during as well as in agent to agent, agent to election Candidates do whatever it takes to post-election periods. These include officials, voter to security officers, emerge winners in politics. This election violence which the EC can voter to candidate and candidate to involves use of violence to distort overcome if voter education is candidate physical fighting. These the normal voting process by intensely funded to create a consequently lead to loss of lives, unscrupulous candidates by remarkable change in voter body impairments and disabilities, creating loopholes to dishonestly behaviour. Even though the election damages and nullification of the win elections. On many occasions, processes often involve polls. The physical assaults, aspiring candidates ferry voters from malpractices, loss of lives and damages and cancellation of the other areas who cause confusion and ascension of incompetent leaders elections not only cause personal, violence at the polling stations into power, it is inevitable to have family or community setbacks but claiming they are denied their right them since they are conventionally precede economic inhibitions to the to vote for their candidate or they the most trusted virtuous features of country. This is because the create anarchy if their candidate a modern democratic society. Electoral Commission has to loses. The main fueling factor for Election violence was evident in the organize by-elections that call for election violence and malpractices general elect ions of 2001, 2006, huge financial injections and hence it is the mentality that politics is a 2011 and 2016 and it is most likely has to make supplementary source of wealth and employment. to happen in 2021 if there is no adjustments in its budget to manage Aspiring candidates invest a lot of massive injection of funding in such circumstances and this is a money in nation-wide mockery www.gatewayresearchcentre.org 3 to its reputation. This calls for they decide to revenge during the services like roads, hospitals, water Electoral Commission‟s intervention campaign period as though it is an sources are constructed don‟t to invigorate voter education to opportune time to benefit from the perform well and hence districts lag outwit politicians who may use leaders by asking for material gifts. behind in development. voters‟ ignorance to carry out No wonder, candidates are at times Possible legal implications violence in elections. lured to borrow and finance their upon violent voter behavior elections. Eventually, they have to During campaigns and election days, Most of the voters are not aware of ensure the debts are repaid. This is there is a lot of excitement among the implications of election Election Malpractices and their why they do not find time to voters as they portray their support to malpractices. This is why such impact on service delivery by mobilize resources for their candidates through awkward acts tendencies like voter bribery occur leaders electorate to develop their areas due such as over speeding, burning car without forecasting the to pressure to recover the amounts tires, over drinking hence repercussions. The Electoral spent in elections. Elections in endangering their lives. By law, all Commission and other key players Uganda have become a business as these are illegal though voters are in elections should ensure that the some people have a false belief that unaware of the legal implications electorate is aware of the possible joining politics is a passport for from the misbehavior or misdeeds forms of voter bribery or election getting free money. during election periods. There are anomalies and how these can be cases where voters resort to fighting avoided. It is unlikely that the leaders can during elections. This sometimes provide the needed services yet they Voters are for example bribed with results into imprisonment

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