The United States Embassy and the British High Commission have both submitted a list of 116 proposed observers to the Electoral Commission to monitor the forthcoming general elections.
The new USA Embassy Ambassador Natalie E. Brown is part of the team that will observe the elections. Last month, Attilio Pacifici the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Uganda said that the EU delegation hopes to put together a group of between 70 and 80 people divided into 20 teams who will traverse the country observing the election process.
The EU, African Union and Commonwealth have been at the center of the election of observance in the country, but the situation is made different because of COVID-19 restrictions. The US observer team will be drawn from the staff of the U.S. Embassy in Kampala.
The US Embassy spokesperson Tony Kujawa says that they are developing plans to have Embassy staff conduct the diplomatic observation of Uganda’s general elections on January 14, 2021.
“The United States government does not take sides or support any specific candidate or party in Uganda’s upcoming elections. The United States supports the democratic process itself. The purpose of a diplomatic observation of elections is to demonstrate the U.S. interest in a free, fair, peaceful, and inclusive electoral process.”
Attempts to ascertain the accreditation process and number of Observers from the Electoral Commission was futile by press time.