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Ugandan Opposition Leader Warns Credible Vote at Risk

   Peter Clottey 01 September 2010

   Olara Otunnu, leader of the Uganda Peopleās Congress (UPC)

   The  leader  of  the  Uganda  Peopleās  Congress  (UPC)  has called on
   Ugandans to resist what he said is President Yoweri Museveniās plan to
   rig  next  yearās election, a day after he withdrew from an opposition
   coalition.

   Ambassador  Olara  Otunnu,  who was also a former U.N. Under-Secretary
   General  for  Childrenās  Affairs,  said he will continue to demand an
   overhaul  of the electoral commission to ensure the vote scheduled for
   February is free and fair.

   āThe reason for the opposition parties coming together (were) to press
   for genuinely free and fair elections in Uganda. That is the glue that
   held  us  together.  That  was  the  reason for being of this umbrella
   organization.  We  went  from  a  demand for free and fair election to
   taking   very   specific  position.  We  said  the  current  electoral
   commission  is  part  and  parcel  of  the Museveni rigging fraudulent
   machine,ā he said.

   Ambassador  Otunnu  pulled  out  of  an opposition coalition formed to
   challenge  President  Museveni  in next yearās vote saying some of the
   parties  reneged  on an agreement that stipulates that they demand the
   electoral commission be replaced before next yearās vote.

   Ugandan  opposition  groups  have  rejected  previous election results
   saying the electoral commission is biased towards President Museveniās
   National  Resistance Movement (NRM) party ā a charge supporters of the
   ruling party deny.

   Otunnu  said  the opposition group failed to adhere to stipulations of
   the agreement that led to the formation of the coalition.

   āWe    said   we   will   have   non-cooperation,   non-participation,
   non-recognition  with  regards  to  the electoral commission. Then, we
   said  that  the  voter  register,  which is being put together by this
   electoral  commission,  could not be the basis for organizing free and
   fair  election. It turns out that four of the five partiesā¦planned to
   participate  in  the  election  organized  by  that  same  (electoral)
   commission,ā Ambassador Otunnu said.

   President   Museveniās  opponents  have  expressed  concern  that  his
   re-appointment  of  the  same members of the electoral commission that
   organized the previous two elections will undermine the credibility of
   the 2011 vote.

   Analysts  say  the  withdrawal  of  the  UPC  from  the coalition will
   undermine opposition efforts at providing a stiff challenge next year.
   Otunnu  said  next  yearās  vote  will  be  rigged  unless there is an
   independent  electoral  commission  that  is  determined to organize a
   credible vote.

   āPart  of  the opposition getting together was to ensure that we could
   have  a regime change in Uganda through the ballot box (and) through a
   democratic  process.  I can tell you there is no way on earth that you
   could  have  a regime change in Uganda as long as you operate on rules
   which are put in place and controlled by (Mr.) Museveni.ā

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