In past elections, the European Union (EU) together with the African Union and several Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have deployed election observers in the country to help the Electoral Commission (EC) conduct a free and fair election.
This is bound to change in 2021 when Ugandans go to the polls, as the EU has said that they will not deploy observers this time around, and it is because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Ambassador Attilio Pacifici, the EU Head of Delegation to Uganda, the COVID-19 pandemic has complicated the electoral process and the plan to deploy observers in the country.
“It is logistically impossible for the EU to observe the 2021 general election. Under normal circumstances, the EU would have deployed observers by August ahead of the February general election but in the absence of a notice to observers, coupled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the preparation process is impossible,” Pacifici said.
However, the EU will collaborate with EC and CSOs to support them to effectively monitor the 2021 general election.
While commenting about the recently released revised 2021 election roadmap that replaced open campaigns and rallies with ‘scientific’ modes of campaigning through media, Pacifici said that there should be a dialogue between EC and stakeholders to find a common ground.
The revised roadmap has been widely criticized by mostly members of the opposition.