Was the voter boycott during the Butebo District bye- election in Uganda, the first of its kind in East, South and Central Africa?

By Gwada Ogot, CCEDU Secretariat 

First, the Butebo County Constituency bye- election was struck by a shock midday press release from the Electoral Commission (EC) on the eve of e-day; an announcement that election front-runner; Lt. Oseku had been barred from contesting the election on a technicality- that he was still a serving member of the UPDF, Ugandas National Army and therefore ineligible to run.

Ironically, as a former member of the NRM, Oseku had on two earlier occasions been cleared to contest the NRM party’ primaries. In both instances the national army did not protest.

Accordingly, the commission went ahead and placed advisory posters at all polling stations relaying its decision. The decision evoked emotive reactions from Oseku’s supporters, and on e-day, in an unprecedented show of grand solidarity, voters from 18 polling stations - all strongholds of Lt. Oseku- boycotted the election to a man. 

By close of voting at 5.00 pm, not a single party agent’ had reported at any of the 18 polling stations, not even the mandatory five voters, required to witness’ formal opening of polling stations and materials.

Was this was a first in East, South and Central Africa?

Though election boycotts are rare, a record of their partial use in African presidential elections exists, specifically in West and North Africa. Examples include the Burkinabe presidential election 1991, the Togolese presidential election 1993, Malian presidential election 1997, Algerian presidential election 1999, Guinea and Ivorian presidential elections 2000, as well as the Ghanaian and Gambian parliamentary election of 1992 and 2002.

According to Wikipedia, an election boycott is the shunning of an election by a group of voters, each of whom abstains from voting. Boycotting may be used as a form of political protest where voters feel that electoral fraud is likely, or that the electoral system is biased against its candidates, or that the polity organizing the election lacks legitimacy.

In Butebo, the 6^th June 2013, by-election for Member of Parliament for the County Constituency, Pallisa District in Eastern Uganda had been occasioned by the demise of three term member Dr. Stephen Malinga of the NRM. A total six candidates were cleared by the EC for the election.

Amongst the candidates, an interesting statistic arose. Against the grain of political convention in Uganda, there were only two party sponsored candidates - one by the main opposition party- Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and the other by - the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), with the remaining four choosing to run as independents’. 

This aggregative trajectory helps illuminate on some of the polarizing parallels that obtained in the contest.  With independent candidates weighing 2:1 against party sponsored candidates, two clear sides had morphed by e-day– on one hand, NRMs Dr. Mutono and on the other, Independent aspirant, Lt. Oseku.

Another was the mobilizing trump card of ethnicity. As it were, Pallisa District is multi- ethnic and so the genie of ethnicity was bound to pop up. When it did, it took centre stage, with the majority Ateso rallying behind their son, Lt. Oseku and the Bagwere solidly tucked behind Dr. Mutono, a fellow Mugwere.

Ethical questions aside, one question was specific to Oseku and his supporter-about the strategies and methods used to so efficiently execute the boycott. Was the boycott spontaneous or was it calculatingly induced?  Were any forms of threats used to execute it or did all voters stay away willingly?

These questions must have been high on the mind of EC Chair, Eng. Badru Kiggundu as he made his closing remarks following official declaration of results which confirmed Dr. Mutono of the NRM as the eventual winner by a majority 22,915 votes followed by independent candidate Elizabeth Ayisu with 1,349.

In his speech, the Chair not only deplored the boycott, but promised to investigate and punish those responsible. In between the announcements, occasional puzzled glances towards the still’ sealed 18 black boxes carrying polling material from the boycotted areas triggered a set of mixed feelings amongst those gathered in the hall. 

Amid the quiet, one question lingered longer and stronger than all: - who or what were the real winners and losers in the Butebo poll?

In the instructive lessons of time, only she may tell one day.