Museveni wins presidential polls, Besigye rejects results

President Yoweri Museveni has won Thursday’s presidential election with a margin of 1,508,308 votes over his closest rival, FDC leader Dr. Kizza Besigye. International and local observers endorsed the election as free and fair.

Museveni polled 4,078,911 out of the 7,173,241 votes cast, which represented 59.28% of the total vote. He was declared winner by the Electoral Commission (EC) chairperson, Eng. Badru Kiggundu, at 4:55pm in the tightly guarded Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.

Voter turnout was estimated at 68.6%. The retired general, who has been in power since 1986, will be sworn in on May 12 for an unprecedented third term in office as a civilian president.

Ululations by hundreds of Museveni’s jubilating supporters rang out in and around the ultra-modern sports complex after the EC’s declaration. Kiggundu said, “We have worked very closely with the agents of all the parties throughout this period. We had 10,450,788 registered voters and 19,786 polling stations. We received results from 19,585 polling stations, which makes up 98.98%. The Electoral Commission is satisfied that the missing results will not change the results to be declared.”

He then announced, “Abed Bwanika polled 65,345 votes that made 0.95%; Besigye Kizza polled 2,570,603, that made 37.36%; Obote Kalule Miria polled 56,674 that made 0.82%; Ssebaana John Kizito polled 108,951, that made 1.58% and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni polled 4,078,788, that made 59.28%.” “The valid votes were 6,880,484, the invalid ones were 292,757 that made 4.08% of total votes cast. The total votes cast were 7,173,241, that is 68.64% of registered voters.

"Now, therefore, the candidate Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, having obtained the highest number of votes in the elections and votes cast in his favour being more than 50% of the valid votes cast at the election, the commission declares Yoweri Kaguta Museveni President of the Republic of Uganda at the presidential elections held on the 23rd day of February 2006,” he added.

Observers speak
The EC received monitors’ reports from the Egyptian government delegation, the European Union, the Nigerian Electoral Commission, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments, the East African Community, DEM-Group, Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI), the Libyan Jamahiriya and the East African Law Society. The Egyptian ambassador, Helal Armanious, described the polls as “very clear, free, fair, well organised” and one of the best elections he has witnessed.

FHRI chief Livingstone Sewanyana said, “We think to a large extent, the commission has been able to organise a smooth and fair electoral exercise. We commend the EC for the timely delivery of materials in the right quantities.”

However, he said that whereas Ugandans were able to exercise their rights to vote, to a large extent the playing field was not level. He said they were not happy with the “big military deployment” and they were concerned that in a number of places, the voting process did not start on time. The Libyan representative, Tayari Ayad, described the elections as “very transparent, well organised and disciplined”.

The US government said “the elections had been free and fair”. A statement from the chargé d’affaires, William Fitzgerald, urged Ugandans to respect the vote and express their views about it peacefully and lawfully.

Responding to questions, EC deputy chairperson Sister Margaret Magoba said, “Some people had double-registered, so the EC had to delete the names from one polling station.

The other reason is that some polling stations had been split up and if the people had gone to check their names during the display of the voters’ register, they would have known where their names were. The Parish Tribunals are the ones who recommend deletion.”

Party reactions Shortly after the announcement of the results, the chairman of the NRM Electoral Commission, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, told a press conference, “We hereby accept the people’s verdict and promise that the NRM will handle state affairs fairly, transparently and effectively.”

He thanked the EC for conducting a fraud-free and non-violent election. In a statement from the Partners for Democracy and Governance (PDG), the donors pledged continued support to Uganda’s democratisation process.

“The PDG notes with satisfaction the discipline and restraint generally displayed by all parties during the polls and urges all concerned to continue to observe the rule of law,” said the statement.

According to the final results, Museveni scored highest in Bundibugyo, Bushenyi, Hoima, Iganga, Jinja, Kabale, Kabarole, Kalangala, Kamuli, Kapchorwa, Kibaale, Kiboga, Kisoro, Kotido, Luweero, Masaka, Masindi, Mbale, Mbarara, Moroto, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Ntungamo, Rakai, Rukungiri, Bugiri, Busia, Nakasongola, Sembabule, Kamwenge, Kayunga, Kyenjojo, Mayuge, Sironko, Kanungu, Nakapiripirit, Bukwo, Butaleja, Ibanda, Isingiro, Kaliro, Kiruhura, Manafwa, Mityana and Nakaseke districts.

Museveni’s political aide, Moses Byaruhanga, said, “The people have spoken. The results have shown what the people want and that is President Museveni. If they (the opposition) say that there was rigging, what about where they won?”

Ofwono Opondo, the deputy publicity secretary NRM national campaign task force said, “We deserve this win. It proves the massive credibility that the NRM enjoys in the population. But at the Namboole announcement, FDC officials led by FDC Organising Secretary Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu and Maj. Rubaramira Ruranga walked out in protest, alleging that the elections were not free and fair.

Addressing journalists shortly before he walked out, Ruranga said, “We are protesting the selective manner in which the EC has handled the tallying of the results. The whole process was not fair and we are strongly protesting it.” Ruranga also handed over to the EC officials a handwritten petition from Besigye, protesting the handling of the whole election.

In a separate memo to FDC supporters, Anne Mugisha, the Special Envoy, Office of the FDC President, said the results declared by the EC were misleading. She said FDC’s tally showed that Besigye got 46.5% while Museveni got 50% of the total votes cast, which should lead to a re-run. Besigye yesterday addressed the press at his home in Luzira, rejecting the results. He described them as “totally outrageous”.

“FDC has taken the decision to reject the results announced by the Electoral Commission,” Besigye said after an hour-long closed meeting with the British High Commissioner to Uganda, Francois Gordon.

Besigye said the elections were marred by electoral malpractices, intimidation and violence, which all unfairly tilted the outcome in favour of Museveni. He wondered how Museveni could have got 50% of the votes when provisional results from the FDC’s own tallying centre from 20 districts, showed that the race was too close to call.

“The common trend that we observed is that we were neck and neck. Sometimes he (Museveni) could lead, other times, I was in front, but he could not have got 50%,” said Besigye.

He did not disclose his next course of action, but appealed to his supporters to remain calm and await FDC’s final position. “When we have a full picture of all the irregularities, malpractices and the outcome of the result as determined by ourselves, we shall examine all options,” he said.

Miria Obote also said the elections were not free and fair. “The election has not been fair to us. But then, there is nothing I can do about it,” she said at a press conference at her Kololo residence. By press time, Ssebaana and Bwanika were still unavailable for comment.

Celebrations As soon as the results were announced, celebrations erupted throughout the country. In Arua, NRM supporters, dressed in yellow, poured into the streets dancing and chanting Museveni’s praises. The Deputy Director of the Internal Security Organisation, Taban Amin, and former Movement director Obiga Kania led the procession.

In Mbale townKampala, a long procession stretching from Arua Park to Wandegeya sang NRM victory songs. Similar celebrations were reported in several parts of the country. However, in Lira it was different.

Early in the afternoon people took to the streets following reports that Besigye had won the election, only to learn it was a hoax. A throng of Museveni supporters filled Jinja’s Main Street, chanting slogans as several waved banners. The eastern town started its celebration on Friday afternoon.

Reported by Alfred Wasike, Joyce Namutebi, Charles Etukuri, Henry Mukasa, Sheila Kulubya, Nathan Etengu, A. G. Musamali and Felix Osike Results checklist www.newvisionuganda.info/election