- Ugandans today are voting in a referendum on whether to reintroduce a multi-party democracy in the country through a constitutional amendment. Today, no political parties are allowed, but multiple candidates are tolerated at elections. Reports from Kampala indicate that voter turnout is relatively low.
President Yoweri Museveni banned political parties in Uganda 19 years ago, saying the tradition of ethnically divided parties had been a major factor behind Uganda's decades of chaos, dictatorships and civil wars. Opposition voices nevertheless were allowed - at least during the last years - and non-party opposition candidates have gathered many votes in recent elections.
President Museveni's "African democracy" however has never been accepted as a true democracy, especially due to the lack of political parties. Following criticism from the national opposition and main foreign allies, including Washington, the Ugandan President therefore decided to let the population vote in a referendum over his non-party system.
Ugandan voters today are asked to say "yes" or "no" to the following question: "Do you agree to open up the political space to allow those who wish to join different organisations/parties to do so to compete for political power?"
Though an important question, the referendum is mostly met by voter apathy in Uganda. Reports from Kampala indicate that very few are using the day - declared a public holiday - to turn up at polling stations. At most stations in the capital, turnout was very dispersed and no queues were in sight.
Both the President and the opposition have recommended voters to say "yes" to party politics, causing most Ugandans to assume that the results are already predestined. While agreeing to a multi-party system, some Ugandan opposition leaders have called for a boycott of the referendum, claiming they are yet another attempt of legitimising President Museveni's grip on power.
Nobody however expects that voters will have said "no" to the constitutional amendment when the results are to be announced on Friday or Saturday. Most uncertainty is attached to voters' turnout, as a very low turnout could question the legitimacy of the results.
While there s now a political agreement on the reintroduction of political parties, many Ugandans still are sceptical to that system. Elder citizens remember the turmoil of the 1980s, when the different parties based their power base on the Baganda people or other ethnic groups. While not really democratic, Uganda has experienced its longest period of relative peace, stability and economic development under President Museveni's so-called Movement (non-party) system.
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