Labour MEP appointed as EU's Chief Election Observer for Uganda

Led by Scicluna, the 110 EU observers will assess pre-election preparations and campaigning across the country, voting, counting and tabulation of the results on Election Day, as well as the post-election period. The EU election observation mission (EOM) will be the largest international observer group at these elections.

EU's High Representative and Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton said the coming elections are important, not only for Uganda but also for the region. "They are only the second multi-party elections to have place in Uganda since the National Resistance Movement came to power in 1986," she said.

On making her nomination of Scicluna, Ashton said she was: "delighted that Edward Scicluna has agreed to take on the role of Chief Observer for an EU EOM for the first time.”

“Mr Scicluna will bring to the role his excellent technical experience in election administration, having been an Electoral Commissioner in Malta for many years, as well as his more recent experience as a member of European Parliament election observation delegations in Tanzania and Sudan," Ashton stressed.

The EU's initial team of experts arrived in Uganda in mid-January and are now being joined by long-term observers. Scicluna will make his first visit to the Ugandan capital Kampala to launch the mission at the beginning of next week.

Scicluna will present the EU EOM's initial conclusions in Kampala a few days after the close of the polls. The mission will then remain in Uganda to prepare a comprehensive report, including recommendations on future improvement to the electoral process, based on a detailed assessment of the entire election process.