Human rights defenders called upon to prosecute perpetrators of election violence

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Legal Aid Providers Network-LASPNET is lining up a team of lawyers to prosecute perpetrators of election violence in the upcoming election.

LAPSNET’s executive director Sylvia Namubiru Mukasa reveals that their organization will take legal action against all security officers, candidates and their agents who will violate people’s rights during elections in 2021.

Human rights defenders and advocates have already started training for the assignment and have held a meeting at Africana Hotel in Kampala preparing lawyers to handle cases of violence against citizens as they arise.

Giving a keynote address at the meeting was former Ethics minister Miria Matembe who emphasized the need to be focused while tracking and documenting cases of electoral violence as this will facilitate better legal representation of the victims in courts of law.

Basing on what transpired in the just concluded NRM primaries which were marred by extreme violence, Matembe anticipates the same environment to surface during the general elections which calls for extra vigilance of lawyers.

The meeting was told that the declaration that all campaigns must be held on media platforms including televisions, radios and social media makes all the public rallies and mass gatherings illegal. With the ‘scientific elections’, those in opposition may be blocked from holding their campaigns on these channels which can propel demonstrations that can become violent.

Matembe stresses that rights and legal defenders are better placed to help out victims of electoral violence in the coming elections. However, she observes that fearfulness among lawyers and judges in Ugandan has presented a bad challenge for Uganda’s democracy.

Matembe who intends to compete for one of the special interest group slots in parliament as a representative for the elderly says her intended come back to parliament is to restore sanity and respect to the institution which has for long been tarnished by the members who are self-seeking.

The positions of representing the elderly in parliament was created this year giving five slots for the special group in the house.

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