CCEDU demands electoral reforms in letter to President

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Civil Society Organisation – Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy (CCEDU) has written an open letter to president in which they list what should be in place as the 2021 General Election season sets in.

The letter that highlights three key challenges that have afflicted Uganda’s elections in the recent past including monetization of elections and corruption in electoral processes, integrity of the national voters register and violence during elections proposes to the President remedies that require prompt action to restore the integrity of elections in Uganda.

“as a fountain of honour, champion laws and practices that guarantee a level playing field for electoral contestations in Uganda, support the establishment of a binding code of conduct for political parties as well as rebuilding public confidence in institutions that are charged with dispensing democracy”, reads the letter in part.

At the beginning of 2018, the consortium of civil society organisation had written a similar letter asking the president to establish an independent constitutional review process and launch a national dialogue process. By the end the year, the president had only launched the dialogue which was being driven by the National Elders Forum. Although it faced major criticism among especially members who were questioning what effect it’s likely to have on the current status quo. Many anticipated it may not yield much.