Kampala — Monitor Publications Ltd (MPL) has launched a special forum under which opinions of presidential candidates will be published in MPL's newspapers during the campaign period.

Monitor "Election Platform" was unveiled yesterday at a breakfast meeting between the management and editorial leadership of MPL and presidential candidates and their representatives at Sheraton Kampala Hotel.

MPL are the publishers of Daily Monitor, Sunday Monitor and the proprietors of 93.3 Kfm.

The meeting was the first of its kind in Uganda between a media house and presidential candidates.

It was called to share with presidential candidates and/or their representatives Monitor's strategy for covering the election campaigns, which officially started last Thursday.

The two independent presidential candidates, Mr Nasser Ntege Sebaggala and Dr Abed Bwanika, attended the meeting.

President Yoweri Museveni, the candidate of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), was represented by the Publicity Chairperson, Ms Mary Karooro Okurut, her deputy, Mr Ofwono Opondo, and publicity committee member, Mr Mugisha Mondo.

Mr Joseph Ochieno and Mr Yoga Adhola represented the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) candidate, Ms Miria Kalule Obote.

Forum for Democratic Change candidate Kizza Besigye was represented by the party Deputy President, Prof. Ogenga Latigo, the Organising Secretary, Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu, and the Spokesperson, Mr Wafula Oguttu.

The Democratic Party National Election Director, Mr Norbert Mao, Press Secretary John Bosco Mayiga and Mr Mukasa Mbidde, represented the party President, Mr John Ssebaana Kizito.

MPL Executive Editor Peter Mwesige said the "Election Platform" is intended to capture a sufficient variety of political opinions and thought, better balance and fairness.

"The major objective of the 'Election Platform' is to open our key commentary pages to presidential candidates and party opinions," Dr Mwesige said.

"This forum will be in addition to the existing op-ed or opinion/commentary pages that accommodate regular and occasional columnists."

He said the Election Platform will comprise a special series of opinion articles by presidential candidates and their parties and would be published twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays.

"The platform will provide an opportunity for the invited contributors to explain their vision, perspective on issues and programmes or simply to respond to a topic in the news," Mwesige said.

Mwesige said presidential candidates' articles of equal length would run on two pages on the two days.

"Great care will be taken to ensure that no single party has an edge over the others in terms of the number of articles published," Mwesige added.

The Executive Editor also introduced, "Uganda Decides 2006", the main platform under which most campaign and other election related news stories, analyses and commentaries will run.

He said "Uganda Decides 2006" would include a series of special reports covering different facets of the elections everyday.

"These reports will include profiles of the candidates, their key strategists, their manifestos, opinion polls and voter preferences, among others," Mwesige said.

The candidates' profiles started running on Sunday.

Mwesige said MPL outlets would "play their key role as the most influential and authoritative platforms for information and public debate".

"The hallmarks of our brand of independent journalism in this period shall remain relevance, analytical rigour, investigative depth, context, synthesis, and perspective," he said.

He encouraged the different camps to hold the MPL editorial leadership accountable for any violations of "Monitor's contract with the public" during the campaign period.

MPL Managing Director Conrad Nkutu said the company would sponsor a joint public debate for all the 2006 presidential candidates.

This followed a request by the FDC and DP representatives.

"We pledge that we are happy to sponsor and organise this public debate. We pledge to organise a fair debate that wouldn't set up anybody for a fall,"Nkutu said.

Nkutu said after more internal consultations, MPL would announce the formalities of the debates.

He appealed to the candidates to give Ugandans a free and fair campaign and a clean electoral process.

MPL's managing director said although Monitor would remain independent, "We are not neutral where democracy and justice are concerned. We are against any form of rigging, violence, militarism and any form of foul pray."

Nkutu said the election coverage by all MPL outlets would be strong on the process and would hold all sides accountable for their actions.

"It's not the view of our newspaper or radio station that excesses are a monopoly of the ruling party," he said.

Nkutu said Monitor's core values would remain support for freedom and democracy.