Reviewing the Form and Substance of the 2021 Elections

Reviewing the Form and Substance of the 2021 Elections is a compilation of articles that examine the legal, social, political, cultural and historical setting of the Ugandan General Elections that were held in January 2021. The idea to this book was born in February of the same year. The country had just come out of the elections that were defined by a strong military presence in the streets, violence, repressive measures on the civil society, an internet blackout and a worldwide pandemic. Anxiety was still felt in the air. The work on the book should provide the first opportunity for an in-depth analysis of the elections, while most just wanted to move on with their normal life offside the political fighting. Ultimately, life was continuing – with old powers in charge and new emerged forces that have set out to challenge the status quo. Continuation and change, traditional actors and newcomers, old playbook strategies and new tactics have awakened hope and equally caused disillusion among one of the youngest and fastest growing populations in the world. The book takes the reader back to the events of that period and provides essential context for the Ugandan and international public to understand the nature and the evolvement of Ugandan elections. With eight contributions by different authors, the publishers of this book have tried to offer a comprehensive depiction of key areas defining that election – among them the COVID-19 pandemic, the monetization of the elections as well as the role of social media in the electoral campaigns and reporting. It investigates the role of institutional stakeholders, legally responsible for the organization and implementation of the elections such as the Electoral Commission, and those that have emerged as key stakeholders in its conduct such as the military. It touches upon the democratic expectations towards the elections and depicts its realities. Lastly, it pays attention to various social groups – their own interests and actions as well as their conceptualization and instrumentalization by competing political forces. With this book, we are contributing to a body of knowledge on Ugandan elections – discussing their uniqueness but also allowing for comparative analysis with other elections worldwide. Some of the authors critically question to which extent the mere holding of regular elections, despite failures in form and substance, is sufficient to legitimize the winners and the political system as democratic. As such, the book also serves as a summary of experiences and lessons learned for the future. As the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, we are committed to our mission “Shaping. Democracy. Together”. We thank the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre (JNLC) for the cooperation on this book. We are grateful for the restless personal commitment of Dr. Nansozi K. Muwanga to the success of this project. We hope this will be an interesting, insightful and valuable resource for any interested citizen – be it in their professional and/or individual capacity. We thank all authors for their interest and willingness to bring our idea to life.