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African Affairs 100:429-452 (2001)
© 2001 The Royal African Society

Article

Uganda's Referendum 2000: the Silent Boycott

Michael Bratton and Gina Lambright

Department of Political Science and African Studies Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA

On the surface, the results of Uganda's Referendum 2000 suggest that voters rejected multiparty pluralism in favour of an inclusive, no-party, ‘movement’ system. Yet, a public attitude survey conducted shortly before the referendum tells a somewhat different story. To be sure, Ugandans give credit to President Museveni and the National Resistance Movement for substantial achievements in office. But voters were not well informed about the referendum, confused it with an election of office-holders, and were subjected to political and social cross-pressures during the campaign. Because many citizens felt constrained to express themselves freely, they acted out their political preferences by abstaining from the polls. In short, among persons who sympathized with the idea of multiparty competition — but who were unwilling to side publicly with a stay-away organized by established political parties — there was an extensive ‘silent’ boycott.


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