Electoral stakeholders including state and non-state actors, UN Agencies and development partners have given a nod of approval to UNDP’s led project for strengthening electoral processes in Uganda. This was during the Local Project Appraisal Committee (LPAC) meeting convened for stakeholders to validate and share insights and perspectives on the project document and ensure that its design captures and responds to the issues Ugandans want to be addressed ahead of, during and after the 2020/2021 general elections.

UNDP in collaboration with Electoral Commission, UN Resident Coordinator’s office, UN Women, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and other electoral stakeholders, through an extensive consultation designed the Strengthening Electoral Processes in Uganda (SEPU) Project to enhance electoral transparency, inclusion, civic engagement and to build confidence in the electoral process.

Development partners pledge support

The Norwegian Ambassador H.E Elin Østebø Johansen said Norway welcomed the project document and pledged Norway’s partnership and support.   “Capacity building, peacebuilding and early conflict warning are key elements to support and Norway is glad these areas are well-reflected in the project document,” Ambassador Elin said. She added that donor collaboration with UNDP was strategic given the latter’s experience in rendering electoral assistance around the globe.  The representatives of Austria and that of Sweden who attended the meeting also expressed interest in the project, in areas such as access to justice, human rights and mainstreaming the critical role of democracy in development.

The Deputy Solicitor General, Mr. Christopher Gashirabake, who represented the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, appreciated the United Nations system and other partners for their contribution to strengthening the rule of law and democracy in Uganda. He expressed optimism that the project will improve the credibility of the Electoral Commission and increase public trust in the electoral process. He commended the electoral cycle approach that has been embraced by the project whereby activities commence before elections and others continue during and beyond Election Day.

Enhancing electoral transparency

Uganda is expected to hold general elections in the first quarter of 2021 and the capacity of the election management body and the level of the civic engagement are crucial to enhance the integrity of the electoral process, its outcomes and for a peaceful election.

“We believe that this project will enhance electoral transparency and inclusiveness and expand opportunities and space for as many Ugandans as possible to engage with the forthcoming elections and have confidence that their action and voice matter, be it as candidates or as voters,” UNDP Resident Representative Ms. Elsie Attafuah said.

Project scope

The project interventions are centered on three thematic outputs: 1) Transparency and inclusion in electoral process strengthened; 2) Institutional capacity for the Electoral Commission and other electoral stakeholders enhanced; and 3) Peace mechanisms improved. This USD10.5million project will be funded through a UNDP managed basket fund arrangement, with contributions from bilateral partners and UN agencies including UNDP.  All this is in line with achieving the 2030 Agenda for development, more especially Goal 16 on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice, and accountable institutions at all levels.

The project support will go to national partners such as the Electoral Commission, Uganda Police Force, Judiciary, Uganda Human Rights Commission, Ministry of Information and Communication Technology and National Guidance/the Uganda Media Council and select non-state actors including political parties, media and civil society organizations.

The Secretary of the Electoral Commission, Mr. Sam Rwakoojo, who co-chaired the meeting with Ms. Attafuah, thanked UNDP and the UN for the continued support to strengthen the electoral processes in Uganda. Mr. Rwakoojo cited the need to improve civic and voter education, stakeholder and media engagement, prevention of violence and promotion of inclusive participation as key focus areas.

The UN Women Country Representative, Dr. Maxime Houinato, welcomed the project, saying it adequately addresses the key issues of relevance to women, youth and persons with disabilities in Uganda’s electoral process, while the OHCHR Deputy Country Representative, Ms. Nicole Bjerler, thanked UNDP for the leadership in the project formulation process. She said OHCHR will work closely with the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) to ensure that it monitors human rights issues during and after the election period.

Mr. Joshua Kitakule, who represented both the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) and The Elders' Forum of Uganda (TEFU), commended the project for its sharp focus on voter education, civic education and peacebuilding. “The project will go a long way to promote credible and peaceful elections,” Mr. Kitakule observed. He equally welcomed the inclusion of parliamentary and presidential debates in the project deliverables.

Background

In November 2018, the Electoral Commission invited the United Nations to consider supporting the 2020/2021 elections in Uganda. Based on the EC request, the UN deployed a mission in March 2019 to assess the electoral context in Uganda. The recommendation of the Electoral Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) was for UNDP to lead the setting up of an integrated electoral assistance project.

The United Nations has a mandate to provide electoral assistance to Member States, on request, and it is provided via the Department of Peacebuilding and Political Affairs (DPPA).

“In line with the above recommendation, UNDP believes that there is benefit in supporting Uganda’s next elections. This belief is informed by the fact that democracy building is a process that takes time and the 2020/2021 elections are a critical building block for consolidating democracy, nurturing peace, stability and Uganda’s development progress,” Ms. Attafuah explained.

As part of this project, UNDP recently supported the Electoral Commission to conduct a media campaign to mobilize Ugandans to check their voter registration status and to prepare themselves to participate in the forthcoming elections.