Given credible claims from observer groups and the opposition political parties, there must be an impartial judicial process.

Given credible claims from observer groups and the opposition, there must be an impartial judicial process. An independent assessment of the facts and a prompt analysis of the legality of the events are essential to maintain citizens' faith in the electoral process.

But nowadays -- Our weakness for the last few years has been the ineffectiveness of the Opposition. This Labour Party has never had the quality of a fighting Opposition. It has just sucked the life out of Radicalism. It has never had the definite idealism of the Whigs and Liberals. 'Give us more employment and slightly higher pay and be sure of our contentment,' says Labour. 'We're loyal. We know our place. But we don't like being unemployed.' What good is that as Opposition? It's about as much opposition as a mewing cat. We mean more than that. I tell you frankly. Our task, I take it, my task, is to reinstate that practical working Opposition which has always been Old England's alternative line of defence... For the good of all of us...

In an eight-day span, the Ugandan government has seriously damaged its human rights reputation by riding roughshod over the rights of political opponents and the courts. The government has arrested the main presidential opponent, used commandos to intimidate the judiciary and banned all public protests, radio discussions and even posters on the subject.

The ruling party is playing a dirty game of intimidating the electorate and undermining the opposition.

In essence these are multi-party elections in a one-party state. We urge all the election observers to take that into account and to address allegations of abuse.