Thematic Areas on the “Form and Substance of the 2021 Elections in Uganda”
1. Civil Society and Elections
Civil Society and the electoral process: What capacity do CSOs have to provide checks and balances across all arms of government?
2. Political Parties: a shadow of their former selves?
Political parties, ideology, recruitment, organization at all levels: Out of touch and too constrained by archaic internal organizing for effective and active participation in the entire electoral cycle?
The real impact of COVID19: disrupted mandates, internal party conflicts, mixed messages and weakened political structures or simply an excuse?
3. Youth engagement, disengagement and sweeping political change
Switching allegiances and tipping the political scale: The role of an angry and politically disenfranchised youth?
Uganda’s youth bulge: Unpredictable political nightmare, or democratic dividend?
4. Managing elections: processes, rules and practices
Changes at the EC for 2021 elections: What changed and what didn’t change at the EC and implications for future elections
5. Understanding voter behavior
Understanding voter behavior: changes in voter turnout, changes in party allegiance and swing votes
6. Role of Media and Social Media in Electoral Processes
Political agency, government responsiveness and the role of the media in the 2021 campaigns and Elections;
New media and politics: An assessment of its role in Election 2021;
7. The Monetization of Elections
Managing expectations or Feeding Neo-Patrimonialism: the role of money in elections
8. Election 2021 and the instrumentalization of Covid-19?
Who do you trust? The COVID-19 infodemic and the destruction of a shared situational awareness
9. Security and Military roles in Elections
Security forces, electoral conduct and Demilitarizing politics: the role of electoral administration
