This follows a declaration by opposition leaders in Uganda who called for peaceful protests against the victory of incumbent President Yoweri Museveni of the National Resistance Movement who was declared winner by the electoral commission with 68% of the vote.

Addressing journalists in Kampala today, Forum for Democratic Change candidate, Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye, Nobert Mao of the Democratic Party and Olara Otunu of the Uganda People’s Congress said Museveni’s NRM had rigged the 2011 elections with the help of the current electoral commission.

“The time is now for people of Uganda to rise and peacefully protest the outcome of the 2011 elections, and to demand that no further elections are held by the current electoral commission,” Dr. Besigye said, referring to the Dr. Badru Kiggundu led Electoral Commission as incompetent.

Besigye speaking after delivery of a joint statement by the opposition leaders said all elections organized by the Electoral Commission have been rigged in favour of the NRM.

Nobert Mao DP Presidential Candidate

But the Police Spokesperson Judith Nabakooba said the police will not allow the protests since the situation is already volatile and might explode into violence.

The Spokesperson of the Uganda People’s Defense Forces, Lt. Col. Felix Kulayigye warned the opposition of harsh treatment if they dare go on streets to protest election results.

He says those aggrieved by the elections results should report their grievances to courts of law which will hear their case and dispense justice.

Besigye has said he will not go to court over electoral malpractices again, and he is now resorting to organizing public protests hoping to get the success of Tunisians and Egyptians where long serving leaders were recently ousted by protesters.

Besigye has gone to the supreme court in 2001 and 2006 when he lost to President Museveni but the on both incidences the Supreme Court ruled by a simple majority that while there were irregularities and the elections were not free and fair, the irregularities did not substantially affect the election results.

Such a ruling is even more imminent in the 2011 case where the margin between President Museveni and the closest challenger is bigger than on previous elections, with Museveni at 68% while Besigye got 26%. In 2006, Museveni got 59% to Besigye’s 39%, while in 2001; Museveni got 65% to Besigye’s 21%.

But the coming days and not history will determine the political future of Uganda where the opposition seem increasingly dissatisfied with the elections process. All the other seven Presidential candidates have refused to recognize Museveni as the winner and all claim the elections were marred by irregularities, vote buying and intimidation by the NRM.

Ultimate Media

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Dr. Kizza Besigye at a press conference

After elections declaration by the Electoral Commission that announced Museveni the winner with 68.4% and Besigye with 26%, Besigye told the press conference that Museveni rigged the votes.

Besigye, who was handling a bundle of pre-ticked ballot papers for President Museveni said that they (ballot) were the evidence that elections were not free and fair.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has called Besigye to give more clarifications of words uttered to the media and explain where he got the pre-ticked ballot papers.

Besigye is the President of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and is the main challenger of President Museveni of the National Resistance Movement (NRM).

 
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Beti Olive Kamya of Uganda Federal Alliance being nominated at Namboole on Monday

Kiggundu says Museveni obtained 5, 428, 369 votes, FDC/Inter-Party Cooperation flag bearer, Dr Kizza Besigye, has obtained 2, 064, 963 (representing 26%) votes while Democratic Party’s Norbert Mao has come 3^rd polling147, 708 votes.

Kiggundu who declared the results to beat the results declaration deadline says the result, excludes tallies from some 117 polling stations whose results the EC says it is yet to receive.

But the Opposition parties have said the results do not reflect the wishes of the people, accusing the NRM of rigging the elections. But the N RM Secretary general Amama Mbabazi told journalists in Kampala that such allegations were unfounded and the NRM had not bribed voters or engaged in intimidation as claimed by the opposition.

The Chairperson of the Commonwealth observer’s group Dame Billie Miller who addressed journalists at Serena Hotel on Sunday said the voting and counting at the polling station levels were conducted in a largely calm and orderly manner.

The results as declared by the Uganda Electoral Commission on Sunday evening

Museveni 5,428,369 (68.38), NRM

Kizza Besigye 2,064,963 (26.01), FDC

Nobert Mao 147,917 (1.86), DP

Olara Otunnu 125,059 (1.58), UPC

Beti Kamya 52,782 (0.66),  UFA

Abed Bwanika 51,708 (0.65), PDP

Bidandi Saleh 34,688 (0.44), PPP

Samuel Lubega 32,726 (0.41) Independent

Kiggundu declared Museveni as the next President of Uganda 2011 to 2016 a few minutes past 6pm at the tallying center in Namboole stadium. He thanked different civil society oirganisations for carrying out voter education and the EC staff for the dedicated work to ensure free and fair elections.

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Museveni campaigning

In its latest research done between 26^th and 30^th January 2011, the Afrobarometer says President Yoweri Museveni of the National resistance Movement is still leading with 65% of those interviewed saying they would vote him.

The closest contender, Inter party Cooperation/ Forum for Democratic Change’s Dr. Kiiza Beisgye got 15% in the opinion poll (slight improvement from the 12% in the earlier poll).

Nobert Mao of the Democratic Party is still in 3^rd place with 3% up from the 2% recorded in the December poll, with  Uganda Federal Alliance’s Betty Olive Namisnago Kamya coming fourth with 2% up from 1% in the December poll.

However the reliability of Afrobarometer researches have been under question by some members of the opposition who claim that Afrobarometer is funded by the ruling government therefore their statistical figures are corrupted.

But Robert Sentamu, the Chairman of Afrobarometer says they are an independent research firm and were hired by the Deepening Democracy programme to carry out the opinion polls.

He says their latest report includes results from interviews with 2,000 respondents in 250 villages across the country, though it was not possible to independently verify statistics nor the appropriateness of the methodology used and type of questions asked.

Ultimate Media

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Eight candidates are competing for the post of President in the upcoming elections. They all claim to love this country more than their birthday. Allow me to express my opinion on why I would vote or not vote each
candidate.

Why I would vote for President Yoweri Museveni.
I would vote for him because he’s my OB. Who wouldn’t want to have a former schoolmate for president; a rapper at that?

Why I wouldn’t vote for Museveni
His speeches are mostly based on remembrance. We have remembered, remembered and remembered things that happened in 1986. Those who were born after must be wondering whether the events are based on true life stories or from Harry Porter scripts.

PPP President Jabel Bidandi Ssali

Why I would vote for Bidandi Ssali
Bidandi would get my vote because he’s my neighbour in Bukoto. I’m sure security would be beefed up in Nsimbiziwome, that’s if they don’t evict us for being a security threat.

Why I wouldn’t vote for Bidandi
The choice of a lantern as a party symbol brings back bad memories of poverty. It reminds me of the days when we didn’t have paraffin. Bobi Wine’s song Kataala makes it even worse.

Why I would vote Kizza Besigye
Besigye is a hunk. I would vote for him because we attended a wedding together. He reminds me of the legendary wrestler Hulk Horgan when he speaks.

Why I wouldn’t vote for Besigye
I envy his courage to dance but I don’t admire his dance strokes. He should get some training from bazungu expatriates. Their dance strokes entirely depend on the weather, not the music playing. I wonder why they are always in a hurry even when dancing to slow music.

Why I would vote Beti Kamya
Kamya is a beauty. It wouldn’t take her lots of time convincing donors to give us money. All they need is to take photos with her and keep them in their albums. That would save us from writing a bunch of proposals.

Why I wouldn’t vote Kamya
Her poster is like that of an inspirational speaker or an upcoming pastor. I don’t know why she chose a giraffe as her symbol. Ugandans have nothing to do with giraffes. It would make sense if they were edible.

Why I would vote Norbert Mao
I would vote Mao because he’s my friend on Facebook. Who wouldn’t want to poke or chat with the president directly without signing ten visitors’ books before reaching him?

Nobert Mao arrives nominaton with wife Naome

Why I wouldn’t vote Mao
I wouldn’t vote for Mao because of his wife. She’s so beautiful that she would steal all the attention from the president.

Why I would vote Abed Bwanika
I would vote Dr Bwanika because of his recent martial arts antics exhibited on his campaign trail when some security operatives tried to stop the man of God from campaigning.

Why I wouldn’t vote Bwanika
What will happen to his church if he deserts it for presidency? I only get to hear of him when it’s time for elections. Where does he spend the rest of the years after elections?

Why I would vote Sam Lubega
I would vote for Lubega, because I don’t know him, never heard of him, and I don’t know his plans for the nation.

Why I wouldn’t vote Lubega
I wouldn’t vote for him because I don’t know him, never heard of him, and I don’t know his plans for the nation.

Why I would vote Olara Otunnu
Otunnu is the first Acholi I’ve seen who talks in slow motion. He gives you an impression that he wouldn’t harm a fly.

Why I wouldn’t vote Otunnu
His attire is always undecided. It’s hard to tell whether it’s a shirt, a kanzu or a night gown

By Samuel Baguma

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