The European Union has deployed an Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Uganda for the Presidential and Parliamentary elections scheduled to take place on 18 February 2011. Chief Observer, Edward Scicluna, who is a Member of the European Parliament from Malta, leads the Mission. A group of 34 Long Term Observers (LTOs) was deployed throughout Uganda on 26 January. One week before Election Day, 68 Short Term Observers (STOs) will join the mission and deploy throughout the country. A delegation of 7 members of the European Parliament will join the mission just before Election Day to observe the process. The observers, and the 7-strong core team supporting them from Kampala, are from all 27 member states of the EU, as well as Norway.
The purpose of EU EOMs around the world is to provide support for the development of the country's democratic institutions and procedures, and to assist partner countries in their objective to hold elections meeting the international standards to which they have committed themselves. In this context the EU EOM conducts a comprehensive analysis of the electoral process and provides an impartial and informed assessment of the elections to strengthen the confidence of voters to participate freely.
An observation mission assesses all aspects of the electoral process, including the delimitation of constituencies, the registration of voters and candidates, the training of election staff, voter education, media coverage, the campaign and the preparations for Election Day, as well as the appeals process.
It also makes an assessment of the constitutional and electoral framework. On Election Day observers visit polling stations in order to observe the opening, voting, counting and the aggregation of results.
Its fundamental principles are set out in a Communication from the European Commission on EU election assistance and observation:
"International election observation is based on the principles of full coverage, impartiality, transparency and professionalism. Its ultimate objective is to become superfluous by entrenching democracy deep within each nation through development of national capacities. Its main goals are the legitimisation of an electoral process, where appropriate, and the enhancement of public confidence in the electoral process, to deter fraud, to strengthen respect for human rights, and to contribute to the resolution of conflict."
Excerpt from: Communication from the European Commission on EU election assistance and observation. Brussels, 11 April 2000, COM (2000), 191 final.
The EU EOM is led by a Chief Observer supported by a core team that is normally deployed in country about eight weeks prior to Election Day, with long term observers arriving to observe the preparations for the election at the regional level about five to six weeks before polling. The short term observers then arrive shortly before Election Day in order to increase the observation capacities of the mission during polling, counting and the aggregation of results.
An observation mission does not interfere in the electoral process and has no authority to change, improve or correct any shortcomings or to request changes during the election process. The observation mission has the mandate only to collect, verify and analyse information concerning the election process, and to publish its findings. As a rule, an EU EOM is only established following an invitation from the government and the national electoral body of the host country. The EU has been invited to observe the 2011 elections in Uganda by the Ugandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Chairman of the Electoral Commission.
Regular meetings are held with election officials at national, regional and local levels, with political parties, candidates, civil society and the media throughout the country. Observers clearly distinguish between complaints, rumours, accusations and verified facts. Only facts that are witnessed or verified by the observers will be used as the basis of the mission's report. Furthermore, although the mission co-operates with other organizations, only information collected by its own international observers will be used to inform the mission's statement and final report.
A few days following the election, the Chief Observer of the EU EOM issues a public preliminary statement based on long-term and short-term observations of the entire process. Approximately one month after the final results, a comprehensive report is issued, which will include a series of recommendations for improvements to the overall electoral process and democratic environment.
The EU has organised EOMs across the world, including: Uganda 2006, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Togo, Sri Lanka, Guyana, Peru, Nicaragua, the Palestinian Territories, Indonesia, Bangladesh, East Timor, Suriname, Cambodia, South Africa, Pakistan, Madagascar, Ecuador, Cambodia, Guatemala, West Bank and Gaza, Afghanistan, Bolivia and Yemen.
The EOM will assess the conduct of the elections according to international standards. The term "international standards" refers to the universal and regional instruments which enshrine the political rights and associated freedoms necessary for the conduct of democratic elections and set out a country's legal and political commitments to ensuring them. In making its assessment, the EOM will consider the following:
• The degree of impartiality shown by the election administration
• The degree of freedom of political parties and candidates to assemble and express their views
• The fairness of access to state resources made available for the election
• The degree of access for political parties and candidates to the media, in particular the state media
• The universal franchise afforded to voters
• Any other issue which concerns the democratic nature of the election, e.g. campaign violence, rule of law, legislative framework
• The conduct of polling and counting of votes
Uganda
country profile and political background
