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The paper by Expedit Ddungu and Arnest A. Wabwire critically examines the 1989 RC-NRC elections in Uganda, situating them within the broader historical and political context of electoral mechanisms and democratization. It argues that previous elections in Uganda were marred by manipulation, exclusion, and violence, often serving elite interests rather than genuine popular participation. The emergence of Resistance Councils (RCs) during the National Resistance Army’s guerrilla war introduced a new form of grassroots democracy, which the 1989 elections sought to institutionalize through the expansion of the National Resistance Council (NRC). However, the study reveals contradictions in this democratization process, including the lack of clear accountability mechanisms, limited autonomy of social movements, and the exclusion of political parties from formal participation. While the elections allowed for broader representation—including women, youth, and workers—the statutory framework and electoral regulations often reinforced state control and elite dominance. The paper highlights irregularities, such as rushed preparations, manipulation of rules, and exclusion of non-Ugandans, and explores how political parties unofficially influenced outcomes despite being formally barred. It also examines the role of the army, the challenges of women’s representation, and the tension between popular expectations and leadership performance. Ultimately, the authors conclude that while the 1989 elections marked a departure from past practices and offered opportunities for popular engagement, they fell short of establishing a truly substantive democracy, as the institutional link between RCs and NRC remained weak and the people’s power over their representatives was not fully realized.
The paper by Expedit Ddungu and Arnest A. Wabwire critically examines the 1989 RC-NRC elections in Uganda, situating them within the broader historical and political context of electoral mechanisms and democratization. It argues that previous elections in Uganda were marred by manipulation, exclusion, and violence, often serving elite interests rather than genuine popular participation. The emergence of Resistance Councils (RCs) during the National Resistance Army’s guerrilla war introduced a new form of grassroots democracy, which the 1989 elections sought to institutionalize through the expansion of the National Resistance Council (NRC). However, the study reveals contradictions in this democratization process, including the lack of clear accountability mechanisms, limited autonomy of social movements, and the exclusion of political parties from formal participation. While the elections allowed for broader representation—including women, youth, and workers—the statutory framework and electoral regulations often reinforced state control and elite dominance. The paper highlights irregularities, such as rushed preparations, manipulation of rules, and exclusion of non-Ugandans, and explores how political parties unofficially influenced outcomes despite being formally barred. It also examines the role of the army, the challenges of women’s representation, and the tension between popular expectations and leadership performance. Ultimately, the authors conclude that while the 1989 elections marked a departure from past practices and offered opportunities for popular engagement, they fell short of establishing a truly substantive democracy, as the institutional link between RCs and NRC remained weak and the people’s power over their representatives was not fully realized.
