§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the conduct of the presidential election in Uganda. [154299]
§ Mr. WilsonThe presidential elections in Uganda provided a genuine choice of candidates and alternative policy platforms. In general candidates were able to campaign throughout the country and to present their policies through the media.
We share the concerns expressed in the preliminary report by the consortium of local organisations which monitored the elections (NGO Election Monitoring Group-Uganda) over reports of violence and intimidation including by Government agents, which marred the later stages of the campaign, and over reports of serious 233W irregularities in some areas on polling day. We await the Ugandan Electoral Commission's response to these concerns.
The patience and goodwill of the majority of Ugandan voters is a testament to their desire for democratic participation.