Institute of Commonwealth Studies The Commonwealth and Challenges to Media Freedom Panel 3: Media, Elections and Post-Election Contests Chair: Nicholas Cheeseman (University of Oxford) Uganda: Irene Ovonji Odida (Executive Director, Uganda Association of Women Lawyers) Kenya: Seth Ouma (University of Oxford) Nigeria: Kayode Samuel (ICwS, School of Advanced Study, University of London) Discussant: Dan Branch (University of Warwick) This conference will draw together members of the Commonwealth Journalists Association, the Commonwealth Lawyers and Magistrates and Judges Association, as well as journalists and policy makers. The two day meeting will address government channels and information flows (looking at the examples of government interference and restrictions in Malaysia, South Africa, Botswana and Sri Lanka); media, elections and post-election contests (with East and Central African case studies of Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda); and the particular challenges facing journalists, bloggers and social media in low-intensity conflict zones (Kashmir, Pakistan and Bangladesh). The Institute feels strongly there is no room for complacency in the UK in the post-Leveson environment, nor should the Indian government and society feel itself immune from regional manifestations of threats and personal violence. Therefore these aspects will also be included in the discussion. Kindly sponsored by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, the Commonwealth Press Union Media Trust, The Round Table and Asian Affairs