Electoral Commission meets with NAB over virtual campaigning.

By; Jjunju Francis

13^th July 2020

The Electoral Commission has interfaced with a team of the National Association of Broadcasters NAB to share on the needs of operations for virtual campaigning.

The Chairman EC Justice Simon Byabakama says that the media is one of the important tools in ensuring information flow and at this critical time of campaigns, understanding of operations to ensure fairness for all members is key.

Byabakama expressed fear for the misuse of the media by the candidates; through character assassination and unfounded utterances that could be detrimental to national unity.  They also needed to understand how all sections of the society will be catered for like the deaf who need sign interpreters.

Led by the Kin Kariisa the chairman of NAB, the team has informed EC that it will be very easy to monitor candidates hosted on different talk shows and control for their utterances since media houses operate under minimum broadcasting standards set by the Uganda Communications Commission UCC as a regulator of the media in Uganda.

However the point of interference by security operatives like it has been before to most media houses, stopping radio stations from hosting some politicians the team called on the EC to work with all other relevant authorities to ensure that this exercise is not jeopardized.

Training and retaining of journalists and producers of the political talk-shows is mandatory to ensure that strict observance of the law is upheld.

Also in need is a media plan on how best communication messages can be done to publicise the election and EC chairman conquered with team on most of the ideas suggested for better operations for the 2020/21 electoral process working with the media adding that time is running out but the ultimate goal remains to holding a democratic election that safe guards Ugandans from the deadly pandemic Covid-19.