The Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) has appealed to media owners to give balanced coverage to all candidates contesting for various political positions in the forthcoming 2021 elections regardless of their parties.

After the Electoral Commission (EC) had announced that the country unlike in the past, would hold a scientific election where campaigns will be conducted via virtual means as a way of combating the spread of the coronavirus disease, the big question was how the media would serve all political parties equally even in the event of events that have characterized the previous elections where opposition leaders have on several occasions been barred from accessing radios and television platforms.

The political parties have since called for an independent media and warned that the 2021 scientific campaigns will not be free and fair if candidates from both the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party and the Opposition are not accorded balanced coverage.

“We want assurance of the independence of media houses that their (air)waves will not be switched off when they host us,” Gerald Kiranda, the secretary-general of the Democratic Party (DP), said.

“We paid for various shows in 2016 but they were blocked. The ruling NRM leaders’ campaigns were not affected since their programmes were aired,” Kiranda said.

Kiranda also cited interference by some political leaders, particularly Resident District Commissioners, who switched off some political programmes during the 2016 campaigns.

The Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) chief administrative secretary, David Baliraine, said small parties were sidelined by the media during the last elections.

He said the NRM booked shows during prime time when everyone was watching yet small parties were denied such an opportunity.

“In the last election, we went to book a talk show and we were told that the only available time was 3 am when everyone was sleeping. You find one party booking all the shows during the day and the small parties have nothing left,” Baliraine said.

Balirine also agreed that the RDCs indeed have a tendency of switching off radio stations in their districts that host Opposition leaders.

Similarly, the deputy secretary-general of the Opposition Forum for Democratic Change, Harold Kaija, asked the media houses to come up with affordable political programmes for all political parties.