Kampala:  In any country, the foundations for free and fair elections are laid well before election day by establishing freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, an independent media, and a transparent voter registry.  On August 25, two independent but related events reinforced these democratic requirements and constituted an important victory for Ugandan democracy and its people. On the morning of August 25, the Constitutional Court ruled the offence of sedition unconstitutional.  In the afternoon of that same day, the Electoral Commission (EC) placed the entire voter registry on line for the first time in Ugandan history.

The Constitutional Court's ruling was a victory for democratic process in the Ugandan government because it reinforced the independence of the judicial branch and the constitutional framework upon which Ugandan democracy is based. The ruling reaffirmed the rights of free speech and expression which the framers of Uganda's constitution so wisely incorporated into Article 29.

With only six months to go before critical presidential and parliamentary elections, the Court reminded us all that freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of the media, and an independent judiciary are critical to free, fair, and peaceful elections.

By placing Uganda's voter registry online, the EC took an important and historic step toward giving individual voters, political parties, and civil society the power to ensure that every voter's voice is heard.

Thanks to the EC's partnership with the US government, over 10 million voters can now verify their registration status and polling station assignments. Political parties and civil society groups can now print out voter lists for all of Uganda's more than 20,000 polling stations by simply visiting the Commission's website at www.ec.or.ug. Soon, any registered voter with a cell phone will be able to verify his or her polling station assignment via SMS.

The historic events of August 25 remind us of the necessity of ensuring that opposition groups can assemble peacefully without fear of harassment, political leaders can speak without fear of retribution, and journalists can report without fear of criminal indictment. I hope the Constitutional Court's decision and the increased transparency of the EC will lead other branches of the Ugandan government to take similar steps to expand and solidify democratic process.

A concerted effort by the Ugandan police and Resident District Commissioners to actively discourage vigilante interference in the political process, refrain from arresting or intimidating journalists, permit peaceful political gatherings, and assign law enforcement officers to provide security for opposition events (as the police have done for the National Resistance Movement's recent internal elections) would be a credit to the professionalism of the police and the strength of Uganda's democratic institutions.

The 2011 elections will of course be competitive. This is a credit to Uganda, where free and fair presidential elections are a right established in the Constitution. The Ugandan government, political parties, and individual citizens all shoulder a shared responsibility of ensuring that Uganda's electoral process is free, fair, and peaceful.

On August 25, the Constitutional Court and EC took tangible steps toward the realisation of this goal. The United States stands with Uganda to support its democratic development, and I was proud to stand with the EC on August 25 to launch the new online voter register. I hope we will have occasion to celebrate many similar steps between now and February 2011.

*  By Jerry P. Mr Lanier, US ambassador to Uganda