Uganda should not be held hostage to the possibility of civil strife post-2011 if the presidential election's result is disputed. Today, we have ever-growing fears of future strife that were only heightened by the government's determined swearing-in of the discredited Electoral Commissioners for another term in office this week.

By insisting on retaining this EC team, the government sent out the message that it is not excited about reforming the process through which Ugandans are supposed to choose their leaders. Things came to a head when President Museveni, in his August 5 letter to Speaker of Parliament Edward Ssekandi, renewed the tenure of five commissioners of the EC.

There was general dismay at this because in the spirit of much-needed electoral reforms it is believed inappropriate for the President (an interested party) to continue choosing the referees of the electoral process. Secondly, the Opposition accurately observes that the EC, as presently constituted, has twice been adjudged by the country's Supreme Court to be incompetent and untrustworthy to run an honest process.

The third major point was that all parties should have a say on who should sit on the EC top hierarchy which should be led by someone qualified to be a judge, preferably retired.

This all spoke to the suspicion that Eng. Badru Kiggundu and his predecessor Hajj Aziz Kasujja were in cahoots with the ruling National Resistance Movement party. And that because of this conflict of interest, elections have been carried out in an unfree and unfair manner designed to ensure that the incumbent retained his tenancy at State House.

While the Supreme Court, in its ruling on Dr Kizza Besigye's petitions against the 2001 and 2006 result, said the elections were flawed, its failure to overturn the results only heightened the frustration of the Opposition. Dr Besigye has said he will, thus, never return to court. What was not said is what should worry Ugandans given this country's violent political history.

Our bloody past should never be re-enacted and this is why everything must be done to ensure that a clean election is held in 2011. The Forum for Democratic Change has dragged the government to court over the swearing-in of the EC top dogs. We hope this will result in an outcome that can ensure that we have an Electoral Commission whose integrity is beyond reproach.