Civil society, EC in Kenya to monitor elections

Agenda. The group is expected to focus on integrity and transparency of the electoral process and document the standards of the pre-election campaigns.

The Electoral Commission chairperson, Mr Badru Kiggundu, and a team of eight civil society election observers have left the country for Kenya to monitor the March 4 polls.

The EC commissioner, Mr Tom Buruku, said the eight Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) election observers will compliment efforts of Mr Kiggundu and his team, who have already pitched camp in Kenya.

Flagging off the members on Wednesday, Mr Buruku briefed the team about the task ahead, saying their observation will determine whether the election is conducted in a free and fair manner or not.

“A good election is a result of good observers. I have no doubt CCEDU is good at that,” he said adding: “The experiences you have learnt will also help us in our own election in 2016.”
In his statement, the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative executive director, Mr Livingstone Ssewanyana, said the group would focus on integrity and transparency of the electoral process, including active citizen participation in election activities.

“The team will also document standards and practices of pre-election campaigns, voting day and post-election activities to capture lessons and best practices,” he said.

Mr Ssewanyana also said the observers would concentrate on the process of counting, collation and declaration of results, which are areas that tend to regularly triggers disputes in elections.

see related story on page 33.

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