Human rights activists fear for 2021 elections

No public assemblies

The police also used the 2013 Public Order Management Act (POMA) to block, restrict, and disperse peaceful assemblies and demonstrations by opposition groups, often with excessive force.

In April, police blocked rallies in support of Kizza Besigye, a leader in the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), in the northern Ugandan town of Lira and in Kasese in the west.

In September, police blocked a rally in Mbale in eastern Uganda, and arrested FDC President, Patrick Oboi Amuriat, and three others. On November 4, police blocked FDC from holding a press conference in Kampala, and arrested Dr. Besigye before releasing him on bond later that day.

But the most vicious crackdown of public dissent happened in October when the police and the military pitched camp at Makerere University to quell student protests. The security forces unleashed teargas into student residences, raided dormitories, beat up, arrested and detained dozens for days without charge.

Dr. Livingstone Sewanyana told The Independent on Jan. 17 that he is not surprised that the government targets freedom of association, assembly and expression.

“This set of freedoms are at the core of any democracy and it is not surprising that in fragile democracies like Uganda, these top the list of abused rights,” he said.

Sewanyana says when this set of rights is protected, “you create a level playing field and the chances of outmaneuvering your competitors become limited.”

“That is why the temptation to violate these rights is quite high,” Sewanyana told The Independent.

“As we go into the 2021 electoral cycle, we must desist from the abuse of these rights,” Sewanyana said, insisting that it is important for all parties to create an environment where citizens are free to canvass for votes and vote freely.

Yet from the look of things, the members of the opposition continue to complain of harassment by the security agencies.  Early this month, attempts by Kyagulanyi to hold nationwide consultations ahead of the 2021 presidential election were quashed by police.

Although Kyagulanyi had written and notified the Electoral Commission, Parliament and the Police about the consultations, Police authorities said Kyagulanyi failed to meet the Public Order Management Act requirements.

Several reforms have been proposed to the laws governing elections and political parties in the build-up to elections in 2021 but some of these proposals have been described as “unpopular, non-progressive and individual-centered amendments.”

In July, Attorney General, William Byaruhanga, tabled several proposals including barring candidates from running as independents after participating in party primaries and preventing independent presidential candidates from forming alliances with political parties.

Legislators from the opposition were not amused and many said the reforms targeted Kyagulanyi, who said he would run for president in 2021 as an independent candidate.

Earlier on in April, the Supreme Court upheld the Constitutional Court’s ruling supporting parliament’s 2017 approval of the removal of a 75 year age limit for presidential candidates from the Ugandan constitution.

Elsewhere, Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch says that the Chinese government which depends on repression to stay in power is carrying out the most intense attack on the global human rights system in decades.

He says Beijing’s actions both encourage and gain support from autocratic populists around the world, while Chinese authorities use their economic clout to deter criticism from other governments.

Roth says “it is urgent to resist this assault, which threatens decades of progress on human rights and our future.” However, Roth was quick to add that the Chinese government is not today’s only threat to human rights.

In many armed conflicts such as in Syria and Yemen, warring parties blatantly disregard the international rules designed to spare civilians the hazards of war, from the ban on chemical weapons to the prohibition against bombing hospitals.

“Elsewhere, autocratic populists gain office by demonizing minorities and then retain power by attacking the checks and balances on their rule, such as independent journalists, judges and activists,” Roth said.

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