This archive report was first published on 11 August 2020.
As the world grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic, Tanzania and Uganda are among several countries that have decided to hold general elections. The polls, scheduled for October and January 2021, respectively, pose significant challenges to the countries' electoral commissions.
According to The EastAfrican, the elections will be held despite the pandemic, which has made necessary restrictions on human interaction. The extent of these restrictions and how they are applied will have a bearing on perceptions of the fairness of the process and the validity of its outcome.
President Donald Trump has expressed concerns about the impact of votes cast via postal mail on his fortunes in the United States presidential election. However, in Tanzania, which has declared itself Covid-19 free, contenders generally have fair access to their audiences through traditional methods.
Uganda, on the other hand, is proposing 'scientific campaigns' that rely on mass and social media, where access is unequal and selectively restricted. However, the country's Electoral Commission has not aligned its proposals with a legal regime that imposes tight controls on political expression.
Bad elections can dim the prospects for peace, stability, and long-term development in the EAC region. Therefore, electoral commissions must work hard at being seen as fair arbiters through free, fair, and transparent elections.
