UGANDA'S FLAWED ELECTIONS: Observers have their final say on the polls

6. Under agreed ground rules the elections were contested by the following four parties:
(i) The Conservative Party (CP), led by Mr. J.S. Mayanja-Nkangi
(ii) The Democratic Party (DP), led by Dr. Paul Ssemogerere
(iii) The Uganda People's Congress (UPC), led by Dr. A. Milton Obote, and
(iii) The Uganda People's Movement (UPM), led by Mr. Yoweri Museveni.
6. There were to be no independent candidates.

Method of Work
8. The Observer Group, preceded by a small advance party from the Secretariat, arrived in Kampala in two stages on 23 and 25 November followed by additional reinforcements on 5 December. At full strength we numbered 70. A list of our personnel appear at page (v).

9. We planned our operations carefully, with a view to maximising our physical coverage of the country and our ability to reach its most remote parts, while at the same time remaining in close touch with the Government, the Electoral Commission, and leaders and representatives of all four political parties.

10. In addition to our headquarters in Kampala we therefore established four outlying centres, in Mbale, Gulu, Fort Portal and Kabale. Each was manned throughout our stay in Uganda. Members of the Group rotated between them, viewing problems and events from the perspective of different parts of the country and at grass roots level.

These five centres were our key listening posts and greatly facilitated our travels in the regions which they served as well as making possible comprehensive deployment for polling day. Uganda was desperately short of vehicles and the telephone service was erratic. In the face of grave difficulties we were fortunate enough to be able to build up an independent air and land transport capability of significant size as well as our own radio links between Kampala and the other centres.

11. Immediately upon arrival we held detailed discussions with "the Chairman of the Military Commission, the Electoral Commission and the leaders of the political parties. These enabled us to '' identify rapidly matters which would require our close attention.

12. We made our presence known to the people of Uganda through a series of radio, television and newspaper announcements and through special markings on our vehicles. Our telephone numbers were also widely advertised.

13. Our doors were open to all. We received an incessant flow of visitors. In addition, we made it a point during our travels to meet a wide and random cross-section of the people of Uganda of all political persuasions, as indeed we were free to do.

14. On the eve of the poll our Members were spread right across the country, strategically placed to be present at polling stations well before they were due to open. We were able to sample the poll in 92 of the 109 constituencies in which a contest was taking place, and in the course of doing so visited no fewer than 1476 polling stations, almost a third of the total. Between us we travelled a total of 62,100 miles, of which 41,900 were by road and 20,200 miles by air.

15. In our view the sample we were able to take of polling stations over the period of the poll was both representative and significant, and fortifies us in the conclusions set out in this Report.

The Group's Role

16. We interpreted our Terms of Reference in a positive and dynamic manner, while always remaining mindful that we were in a sovereign state by invitation. Although our function was not to supervise but to observe the elections, we did not content ourselves with being passive spectators of events, but sought to influence them in a variety of ways. In doing so, we had not only to contend with historic rivalries predating the Amin regime, but with tensions and anxieties induced by the electoral process itself.

The principal parties profoundly mistrusted each other. There were continuing dangers almost to the end that some of them might withdraw from the election. We therefore saw it as our paramount duty to assist in the process of confidence building, to enlarge areas of agreement and, wherever possible, to bridge misunderstandings. Our very presence came to be a stabilising factor and a reassurance both to the parties and to the electorate as a whole.

17. We publish as Annex 1 to this Report our correspondence with the Military Commission, the Electoral Commission, and the leaders of the political parties on a range of issues. This speaks for itself, illustrating the initiatives we took and the manner in which we approached our work.

The Electoral Law