We don’t need the military in our elections, says Otafiire
Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire, Minister of Internal Affairs. PHOTO/GEOFREYMUTUMBA
What you need to know:
Gen Otafiire emphasised that both the Civil Society Organisations and his Ministry play key roles in ensuring free and fair elections
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen Kahinda Otafiire, has said it is not the duty of soldiers to maintain law and order during elections. “The work of the military is not to ensure internal law and order. That work is left for the police and I think they are enough to do the job. We don’t need the military to be deployed.
The army is supposed to protect our borders,” Gen Otafiire said on the sidelines of a meeting on elections in Kampala yesterday. “The military is usually called upon as a backup with the situation becoming more tense and whether the UPDF is involved or not, that depends on the IGP, not the ministry. We neither influence nor deploy but I think we don’t need it,” Otafiire said. During the just concluded Kawempe North by-election, soldiers were deployed at polling stations, an act criticised by as civil society organisations.
Speaking at the meeting, Ms Sarah Bireete, the executive director of Centre for Constitutional Governance, complained about delayed accreditation for NGOs seeking to participate in educating voters and serve as election observers. “This is an intentional move to keep us away from our mandated duties because some NGOs applied for accreditation eight months ago to support voter education and long-term observation. But to date, the Electoral Commission hasn’t responded,” she said. The civil society organisations (CSOs) also raised concern about state mistrust, unheeded calls for electoral reforms, arbitrary arrests of Opposition politicians and their supporters, among others. Mr Julius Mucunguzi, the Electoral Commission spokesperson, said the people who were denied the observation role failed to meet the criteria.
“We always make a call for individuals and organisations to apply to be election observers and there is a criteria for selection. So if you don’t make it, it means that you didn’t have the qualifications,” Mucunguzi said. Mr Badru Musinguzi, the assistant commissioner in-charge of NGO registration at the NGO Bureau in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said: “…one of the things coming out is a concern by NGOs about the delays in accrediting them to undertake civic education. The process is going on so well from the Electoral Commission. They have highlighted very well that some NGOs have already been accredited, others are yet to be accredited. But for us at the ministry, all we do is to recommend to the Electoral Commission, those NGOs.” Ms Bireete said, “No one is educating the public about their role, the duties of leaders or the responsibilities of institutions like police and political parties.
If government is serious about democratic elections, they must guarantee that the military will be out of the elections, sensitise people on what exactly is happening and what they are supposed to do, there will be no use of excessive force, and that all groups including NGOs and the media are free to operate.” In a rejoinder, Gen Otafiire both the CSOs and his ministry play key roles in ensuring free and fair elections. He said: “My view is elections are about competition for ideas which are expressed and let the population make their own political choices.
Most of you are being taken up by the election anxiety to do sensational activities but do your job within your mandate without interfering with the political parties, and the political parties should do the same. NGOs should not interfere with the responsibilities of the ministry. And we too shall not interfere with yours.” He added: “Whether you like us or not, don’t tempt us just because you’re exercising the voting right expecting us to just look on. For my ministry we shall avoid conflict if we all stick to our constitutional roles and promise a free and fair election process.”
Parliamentary elections act 2005
Section 41, sub-section 2 and 3 of the Parliamentary Elections Act of 2005 gives the returning officer authority to appoint at least two constables to maintain law and order at a polling station during an election.
