EAC, COMESA, IGAD to monitor Uganda polls

KAMPALA-A team of seventy observers from three Regional Economic Communities (RECs) was yesterday flagged off to start playing their observatory role in Uganda ahead of the Presidential and Parliamentary elections scheduled for next week. The first ever regional joint observer mission comprises of the East African Community (EAC), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). In her remarks at the launch of the mission in Kampala, Patricia Hajabakiga, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) member from Rwanda, told reporters that the team is made up of high calibre officials who will contribute to the transparency of the electoral process in Uganda. “As EAC, we have a record of observing elections in the region. We give critical reports where it is necessary and praise where it is required,” said Hajabakiga, who is also the head of the EAC observer mission. Beatrice Kiraso the EAC Deputy Secretary General (Political Federation) reiterated that the mission would be expanded to even cater for elections in other countries like Zimbabwe where elections are expected soon. “We are looking at having a tripartite agreement in the future because right now it’s only between EAC, COMESA and SADC,” she said. Giving an example of the post election violence in Kenya and Ivory Coast, Mahaboub Maalim, the Chief Executive of IGAD, emphasized the role of elections in a country as well as the bad impacts of an election that is not free and fair. “If you have been defeated in an election, why wouldn’t you accept and go back home for goodness sake?” he said. The joint observer missions are running under the Regional Political Integration and Human Security Support Programme (RPIHSP), being supported by the European Union. Kiraso reiterated that the overall objective of the RPIHSP is to support the political integration agenda of the three blocs with the aim of improving the political governance, transparency, democratization processes, security, stability, and sustainable development of the regions through strategic inter-regional cooperation. Ends