. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION .
An article by Stephen Wandera, All Africa
Plans are underway to set up a Conflict Resolution Authority with the mandate of settling post 2016 election disputes. The authority, compiled jointly by government and the Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC), is contained in the Uganda National Conflict Prevention and Peace-building Policy draft expected to be officially endorsed by government before the end of the year.
The Executive Secretary of Uganda Joint Christian council, Rev Silvester Arinaitwe Rwomukubwe, (L) with as Archbishop Stanley Ntagali (R) PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA
“The policy aims at promoting a culture of peace among all Ugandans in successive generations,” UJCC executive secretary Sylvester Arinaitwe said, while addressing various stakeholders at a consultative meeting in Nsambya, Kampala, yesterday.
“The policy will be used to identify, prevent, manage and transform conflict and comprehensively for sustainable and equitable development and harmonious co-existence,” Fr Arinaitwe added.
“This honourable job will be executed by an authority either a council or commission depending what will be agreed upon.”
He said the document compiled jointly by government and the UJCC will act as a tool of reference for conflict resolution.
“We want to offer Ugandans a peace gift on the International Peace Day scheduled for September 21 by launching the policy,” Fr Arinaitwe.
“However, it will have to be endorsed by Cabinet before being tabled to Parliament as a Bill for consideration into law.” The draft is being advocated for by UJCC and the Office of the Prime Minister.
Ms Mary Adhiambo Mbeo, a programme specialist on Gender issues in the UN, backed the establishment of the authority, saying unresolved election conflict results into war, something that Uganda should avoid.
“I had first-hand experience during the Darfur war and I would not like such an incident to happen here in Uganda,” she said.
How should elections be organized in a true democracy?
CPNN receives more and more articles from Africa about initiatives that contest the European model of “winner-takes-all” elections, and demand that elections should only be part of a broader democratic process that seeks consensus and compromise.
This fits with the pre-colonial systems of justice in Africa, when there was no monotheism and no single supreme god, no single supreme law, no single “truth” provided by divine intervention, but rather a compromise among many different “gods,” perspectives and “truths” arrived at through a process of mediation, for example, the “palabra.”
Here are some of the articles:
Ghana Youth Coalition wants politicians to commit to peace in 2012
Women’s World in Nationwide Sensitization [Sierra Leone]
Varsities vouch for peace ahead of general elections (Kenya)
Zimbabwe: Christian denominations launch peace initiative
Rethinking Post-Election Peacebuilding in Africa
Nigeria: Why we facilitated Abuja peace accord —Ben Obi
Uganda: Government to Set Up Election Conflict Resolution Body