Uganda

The International Republican Institute (IRI) first began work in Uganda in April 2003, when the Institute produced a public opinion poll designed to explore Ugandan notions of democracy and governance. During the 2004 constitutional amendment debate, IRI supported dialogues and seminars that increased popular involvement in the 2005 transition from a non-party state to a multi-party system.

In February 2006, political parties competed in the first multi-party elections held in Uganda since 1986. Leading up to elections, IRI conducted trainings and workshops aimed at developing political parties into viable organizations which could compete effectively at the polls.

IRI’s current programs in Uganda focus on strengthening political parties and civil society organizations to work together to develop policies that represent the interests of citizens and present the opportunity for substantive and peaceful competition. IRI is also working to create forums that include political party leadership, the Electoral Commission and representatives of civil society to build consensus on key issues of electoral reform. Finally, IRI is assisting persons with disabilities to become more effective advocates in demanding better delivery of services to at the district, regional, and national levels.

Strengthening Political Pluralism

IRI’s previous programming focused on strengthening political pluralism in Uganda through strengthening political parties and civil society organizations. By supporting the development of such institutions, IRI helped to build their capacity to engage directly in the political arena. IRI also worked with political parties and civil society to ensure that their engagement in the political arena was issue-based, inclusive and relevant to the priorities of the citizenry. In addition to supporting the organizational development of parties and civil society organizations, IRI held public dialogues, radio programs, seminars, interactive workshops and networking meetings. These activities provided forums for issue-based dialogue and debate. They also provided opportunities for training, networking, experiential learning and more constructive engagement between political parties and civil society organizations.

Candidate Debates

In the lead up to the February 2006 elections, IRI sponsored a series of candidate debates at the parliamentary level as well as a live televised debate for the presidential candidates. Additionally, IRI trained more than 900 political party poll watchers, who played an integral role in ensuring an open and transparent electoral process. The Institute also fielded a team of 30 observers to assess the elections in two districts in Uganda's southwest countryside.

Mainstreaming Gender Issues in Political Parties

Considering the nascent stage of development of many of Uganda's political parties, the Institute believes it is imperative to include women in decision-making processes and as political party leaders from the very beginning stages of party development. Calling on the examples of other African countries such as Rwanda, South Africa and Namibia, IRI has contributed to the integration of women into Uganda's political parties. Most notably, all of the parties have set quotas for female representation in their leadership structures, which illustrates the significant role women are playing in Ugandan political parties.

Civil Society Development

An additional component of this previous program included a series of small grants, issued to Ugandan organizations working to advance democracy by strengthening civil society networks. Through its sub-grantees, such as the Ugandan Association of Women Lawyers, the Uganda Joint Christian Council, the Mubende Disabled Women's Association, and the Uganda Youth Network, IRI assisted Ugandan civic organizations to implement activities such as public dialogues, radio programs and other forms of advocacy. Building the capacity of these organizations to effectively manage grants and engage directly in politics has also contributed to Uganda's emerging civil society.

IRI’s current strengthening multiparty democracy program also includes a civil society development program. IRI will utilize a range of capacity-building techniques to improve the skills of civil society organizations. IRI will then support these groups to apply their newfound skills in addressing key issues confronting Uganda, including community stabilization and economic development, participation of women and people with disabilities, and HIV/AIDS.

Strengthening Multiparty Democracy and Political Party Development

Uganda took significant steps forward in its democratization process with an official transition to a multi-party political system in 2005, and in 2006, the first multi party elections in more than 20 years. However, political parties remain organizationally weak, existing largely as informal collections of individuals with few institutional and procedural foundations.

Through capacity building and training programs for political parties, IRI has helped parties to gain basic tools needed to build their parties after a long period in which political parties were considered illegal. The Institute's support has boosted the capacity of parties to carry out specific reforms, including building their own research units and think tanks, revising their party constitutions, developing strategic plans, and becoming more internally democratic, among other such reforms.

Additionally, the Institute has sponsored an information and communications technology project that allows parties to establish web pages and communicate with their members via text messaging technology, the internet and radio.

IRI will continue working with political parties, focusing on developing grassroots party capacity; strengthening party parliamentary caucuses; preparing parties for elections; assisting parties to become more inclusive; helping parties develop methods of party fundraising; and linking parties with other representative institutions.

Political Empowerment through Issue-based Advocacy by Persons with Disabilities

To support the development of more effective advocacy on disabilities issues, IRI has launched a program creating networks that are expanding successful district advocacy campaigns to the regional and national levels. IRI is also supporting the networks’ efforts to encourage national, regional and district activists to work together to implement advocacy campaigns that coordinate efforts between activists at all three levels.

Building on the foundation of the Persons with Disabilities Act of 2006, IRI has already assisted advocates for disability issues at the district level to develop monitoring and advocacy tools to ensure better service delivery for the disabled at the district level. Local disabilities organizations have developed new strategies and techniques to advocate more effectively for the disabled at the district level. These advocates have also run campaigns to engage with leadership on how district policies and programs can be changed to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities.

Starting with Yoweri Museveni's ascension to the presidency in 1986, the Ugandan political landscape was dominated by the National Resistance Movement (NRM or the Movement), a no-party form of organization that was developed to overcome sectarianism in Uganda's politics. Under the Movement system, elective office was contested on individual merit rather than along party, ethnic or regional lines. Movement leaders blamed these divisions for the civil wars of the past.

Under the constitutional provisions adopted in 1995, the Movement system was to remain in effect for five years, with severe restrictions on political party activity. The 1995 constitution also stated that a referendum would take place in 2000, through which Ugandans could then determine whether to implement a multiparty system of democracy. In March 2000, 91 percent of voters elected to keep the Movement system, although the referendum was widely criticized for low voter turnout and a lack of transparency. While both presidential and legislative elections were held in 2001, the government continued to promote the Movement system, and most executive and legislative power was vested in officials who advocated Movement political views.

In January 2003, however, Museveni made an announcement recommending the adoption of multiparty politics. Among reasons cited for this political shift were the importance of the economy and the preferences of donor countries (and hence their markets) for multiparty systems. At the same time, the government released a statement indicating its intention to eliminate term limits, which would require constitutional amendment.

In July 2005, Ugandans went to the polls to vote in another referendum on multiparty politics. Though turnout was only around 41 percent of registered voters, the referendum passed with 93 percent of the vote, thereby officially legalizing political parties and ending the no-party state.

The National Resistance Movement registered as a political party, the NRM Organization. The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) is one of the strongest opposition parties, followed by the Ugandan People's Congress (UPC) and the Democratic Party (DP). There are several smaller political parties, including the Conservative Party (CP) and Justice Forum (JEEMA).

To allow Museveni to stand for a third elected term, Parliament overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment eliminating term limits in July 2005. The 2006 presidential and parliamentary election campaigns were heated. Opposition presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye of the FDC returned from four years of exile in South Africa. A few short weeks after his homecoming, Besigye was jailed and charged with treason and rape. Besigye faced trials in both military and civil courts, although the military tribunal charges were eventually dropped. He was released on bail on January 2, however, constant court appearances limited his ability to campaign.

Museveni was victorious in his bid for a third term in office in the February 23, 2006 presidential election, winning 60 percent of the vote. Besigye won 37 percent.

Most observers described the 2006 presidential and parliamentary elections as the most peaceful in Uganda's recent history. They also found that electoral procedures on Election Day were conducted in a more professional and orderly fashion. Observers raised concern, however, about the lack of a level playing field in the period leading up to the elections. They cited unequal access to state media, misuse of government resources, harassment of opposition candidate Besigye, and trends of bribery and intimidation in the immediate pre-election period. In addition, lack of civic education, limited training of polling officials, an inefficient complaints process, and late passage of electoral law had a negative impact on the conduct of the elections.

As Uganda looks forward, the political parties have shifted their focus towards the next election cycle, planned for 2011, when presidential, legislative, and municipal/local council elections are expected. All of the parties are looking at the lessons learned from the 2006 elections and are evaluating how best they can use their election experience to be more competitive in 2011.

Political Overview

Head of Government: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, National Resistance Movement

Type of Government: republic

Suffrage: universal, age 18

Elections Calendar

Program Overview

Focus of Program: civil society and political party development, electoral reform, political empowerment through issue-based advocacy by persons with disabilities

Funding Source: United States Agency for International Development, National Endowment for Democracy