Uganda government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo has said that the USA has no moral authority to observe and judge elections in the country, yet they have so much on their plate.
Opondo was responding to an earlier announcement by US Head of Mission in Uganda Ms. Natalie Brown who said they would not be observing the elections in Uganda citing lack of accreditation.
Ms. Brown claimed that they had lodged several requests but the EC turned them down with no specific reason and communicated just days before elections.
According to Natalie, in the absence of the robust participation of observers, Uganda’s elections will lack the accountability, transparency, and confidence that observer missions provide. Uganda will also miss the opportunity to benefit from observers’ insights to improve and inform future elections.
However, Opondo in reply said the USA has no business observing and confirming the credibility of polls anywhere when they have failed to achieve the same back home.
“With what is happening in America now, they have no moral authority to be part of our electoral process,” he said.
The Presidential Press Secretary Don Wanyama also added that the USA should remain clam since Uganda has not been observing their elections and no one has cried about credibility.
“There are African Union and EAC observers. Those can do. I don’t remember when Uganda last sent election observers to the US,” Wanyama said.
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