MULTI-PARTY DEMOCRACY IN UGANDA

Early day motion 2035, tabled 25 April 2006 by Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 29 members.

That this House welcomes the move by Uganda to multi-party politics after 26 years; regrets that the 23rd February 2006 elections were conducted under one-party law and marred by multiple irregularities as reported by the European Union and Commonwealth observer teams; is disturbed by the unanimous ruling by Supreme Court judges that there was `non-compliance with the provisions and principles of the Constitution, Presidential Elections Act and the Electoral Commission Act, and that there was involvement of the security forces which committed acts of intimidation, violence and partisan harassment in the conduct of the 2006 Presidential Elections'; recalls that Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth for committing similar irregularities in the 2002 presidential election; and now calls on the Government to consult with other Commonwealth countries and to agree that their participation at the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting due to take place in Uganda would not send the wrong signal to Ugandan authorities, and seriously retard an early and full return by Uganda to pluralism.

Signatures by party: Labour 17, Liberal Democrat 8, Conservative 2, Plaid Cymru 2.