Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kampala (Agenzia Fides) – About 14 million Ugandans will vote tomorrow, 18 February, in the presidential and parliamentary elections. The outgoing President, Yoweri Museveni, is the favourite going up against seven candidates. The main competition is from Kizza Besigye, the former personal physician to Museveni, who previously contested other elections.
The opposition has expressed fears about the accuracy of the composition of the electoral role. The Democracy Monitoring Group (DEMGroup), a consortium of four organisations from civil society (included in which is the Uganda Joint Christian Group, an ecumenical group in which the Catholic Church also participates), which has checked the electoral lists and seen some problems (such as the 4,000 seats with a number of voters exceeding 800 people), confirms that “the quality of the electoral role is satisfactory in many areas.”
In June 2010 the Ugandan Bishops in a declaration (see Fides 25/6/2010) and in a successive Pastoral Letter, after having expressed concern for “the events happening in the Country, which indicate rising fear and anxiety for the political future of the Country, especially about what is may occur before, during and after the upcoming elections,” they expressed hope for “a proper and fair electoral process, administered by a credible body, which will ensure transparency and impartiality”. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 17/2/2011)
