UGANDANS go to the polls on Tuesday to vote in legislative elections held in the wake of a moderately volatile campaign and under a system which prohibits political parties from functioning normally. At stake are 214 of the 295 seats in Uganda’s seventh parliament since independence. The other seats are reserved for special groups such as the army, youth and women and are filled by separate elections. The polls come three months after President Yoweri Museveni won a final term in office with almost 70% of votes cast in an election marred by widespread irregularities. Tuesday’s will be the second parliamentary elections since Museveni fought his way to power in 1986. In the run-up to the poll, there have been several reports of violence, including arson and intimidation but these have not reached the level seen before the presidential election. Political parties are barely allowed to exist in Uganda and candidates must stand in their own right, not on a party ticket. – AFP
Monday June 25, 2001