Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the integrity of recent elections in Uganda.

While voting in Uganda's recent Presidential elections has concluded, significant concerns remain unaddressed including the treatment of opposition candidates in the run-up to and since the elections, as well as the shut-off of the internet during the elections. This does not suggest an open political landscape, within which democracy can flourish. Following the arrest of opposition leader, Robert Kyagulanyi, and subsequent violence in November, I [Minister Duddridge] tweeted my concerns on 20 November and called for the authorities to respect the rights of all Ugandans to express their views in a peaceful manner. I [Minister Duddridge] outlined in my tweet on 13 January the UK view that the elections should be free, fair and transparent, having raised this with the Ugandan High Commission on 12 January. Staff at the British High Commission observed the conduct of the elections and I [Minister Duddridge] would like to also commend the Ugandan media for their reporting on the elections. As I [Minister Duddridge] and the British High Commissioner stated in our tweets on 14 January, we are concerned that the recent internet shutdown in Uganda impacted the transparency of the elections and broader freedom of expression. Following the Presidential election results on 16 January, I [Minister Duddridge] set out in a statement our significant concerns about the overall political climate surrounding the elections and have urged the Government of Uganda to meet its international human rights commitments. The treatment of opposition figures post-election including Robert Kyagulanyi is unacceptable and I [Minister Duddridge] expressed my concerns about this in my tweet on 19 January. Political freedoms are vital for democracy to prevail and the UK will continue to make representations on this issue to the Ugandan authorities.