In SW Uganda, there is reason to fear that the elections will be violent

From the South West regions of Uganda, Orishabag Bagamuhunda Justus (right), the Executive Director of the human rights NGO Kizeri Human Rights Activists (KHRA) expresses a deep fear that next year´s elections will be particularly violent in the districts of Kabale, Rukungiri and Kanungu, all in the South West, bordering Rwanda and DR Congo. Below, Justus explains why. (13-OCT-05)
 
-The reason why we have this fear, says Justus, -is that it has been a common practice for election violence to occur especially in the districts of Kabale, Rukungiri and Kanungu. Various political candidates who petitioned Electro Commission and the Candidates who won elections in 2001 evidence this. For example in Kanungu, James Musinguzi Garuga petitioned the Electro Commission and Hon Amamambazi for irregularities in the Parliamentary elections in Kinkizi West. Now, we are asking ourselves, if this violence occurred when all the candidates were soliciting support under one system of Governance, what then will happen given the fact that we have adopted multiparty system of Governance?

-People were beaten
-In Kabale District, Rukiga County, Justus continues (in his office, right), -there was intimidation and election violence of the highest order both in Parliamentary and local Council elections as people were beaten and there was vote rigging at the majority of polling stations. In Rukungiri, every Ugandan knows what happened during the Presidential elections, as people were harassed and intimidated mainly because this is a home District of exiled former Presidential Candidate, Dr. Kiiza Besigye.

-There´s a severe lack of civic education
-In fact, Justus (pictured here outside his organisation´s offices) goes on to explain, -people?s rights were violated as some could not cast their votes. Instead, they were denied their right to vote leading to violation of article 59, clause 1of the Constitution of Uganda. Article 59 clause 1 of the Constitution of Uganda clearly stipulates, “Every citizen of Uganda of 18 years of age or above has a right to vote”. Hence preventing people from voting denied them of this constitutional right. This violence is most especially blamed on lack of civic education for the electorate, governmental officials and security agencies. We hope that if civic education is provided, most of the people will understand principles of democracy and such violence will not happen again.
 

-People must get more involved in the political discourse
-Our worry is that people have continued not to understand multiparty system of governance. In fact we need to carry out a serious civic education campaign if are to have a successful transition period to Multiparty Democracy.  KHRA firmly believes that the most effective way of promoting democracy is through an innovative approach that focuses on improved political advocacy, tolerance, promoting respect for human rights as well as having a peaceful society were people live in harmony. This initiative will advance democracy and human rights, as people, civic and political groups will become more involved in the political discourse of Uganda.
 
-As human rights activists, we must take responsibility
-Finally, this is why KHRA (the organisation´s offices, right) is preparing for the forth-coming elections in 2006. As human rights activists, we have an obligation of ensuring that we have free and fair elections in 2006 where people will fully exercise their rights. That is why we are proposing that we form human rights support committees (HRSC) at Parish level that will assist us in election monitoring. KHRA is determined to ensuring that civic education is provided to the grassroots people, since they are the most likely victims of human rights abuses during the forthcoming elections, concludes Justus.