Notes from inside the Women’s Situation Room on Election Day

On February 15, two days before the presidential and parliamentary elections, the Women’s Situation Room Uganda opened at the Sheraton Hotel. The Women’s Situation Room (WSR) had been active in the country for a few months training women and youth observers in electoral laws and the Constitution to prepare them for the task on February. 18th
The WSR, having operated before in other elections in African countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Liberia, opened a call centre which would be instrumental in early warning and resolving of election related incidents that could trigger violence.

With the toll free number 0800-333-111, the WSR opened on a highly charged day when Opposition candidate, Dr Kiiza Besigye, and his supporters were teargassed.

The night before the elections
Unlike other observer missions, the WSR handles reports that come to the attention of the room through the toll free line.

In the two days before the polls opened, WSR had already received complaints and on night before the election, the call centre received several allegations of voter bribery and intimidation.
On the morning of Thursday, February 18, the WSR call centre received over 800 callers, majority of whom were from Kampala.

The voters who reached us were at polling stations at about 6am and waiting in lines for polling officers and materials in vain.

Between 8.30am and 1 pm, most voters were very impatient, agitated to the extent of abusing the call centre operators. It was a challenge for youth volunteers that were operating the call centre as they tried to calm the people’s nerves.

It was also clear many voters mistook the WSR number for Electoral Commission so almost half of them called in about election conduct-related incidents.

The Electoral Commission hotlines were not going through so WSR call centre received calls related to the voting processes and people were asking about the requirements for one to vote, missing polling stations and voter names.

This showed that there was limited voter and civic education by the EC. During the late morning hours there were many desperate calls as many reported they were returning home without voting.

More issues
We also received cases of voter intimidation and heavy military and police presence, particularly from Western Uganda and specifically Ntungamo District.

Callers were also desperately calling in with reports of pre-ticketed ballots as well as unsealed election materials.

There were also reports of violence in Sembabule, Rakai, Ntungamo, Lyantonde and Luweero which the WSR intervened in.

In the evening the calls received were about vote counting and with reports that in some places agents reportedly disappeared with declaration forms while in other places the votes which were announced were more than the people who voted.

Once the calls came through from various parts of the country, the youths recorded the nature of the cases and the location of the call, which they then transfered to Eminent Women of Uganda and Africa, supported by the Group of Wise for review.