Uganda’s Museveni wins disputed presidential vote

Yoweri Museveni

KAMPALA, (Reuters) – Ugandan President Yoweri  Museveni, one of Africa’s longest serving leaders, won election  to a fourth term in office by a huge margin yesterday but the  opposition rejected the outcome.

Yoweri Museveni

Throngs of Museveni supporters sang, cheered and blared  music from cars after electoral commission results handed  Museveni 68 percent of the vote against challenger Kizza  Besigye’s 26 percent.

However, EU election observers said the presence of the  military on the streets had created an intimidating atmosphere  on voting day, which, with other factors, had jeopardised the  integrity of the poll.

“We have found the power of incumbency was exercised to such  an extent as to compromise severely the level playing field  between the competing candidates and political parties,” Edward  Scicluna, head of the EU observer team, told reporters.

Many Ugandans complain their country is riddled with  corruption and lacks investment in public services and  infrastructure.

Others respect Museveni for restoring stability  and overseeing a period of sustained economic growth in a  country previously plagued by despots such as Idi Amin.

“I am happy today. Our country had a dictator, Idi Amin, a  bad man who even rich foreign presidents bowed to. But Museveni  was able to defeat him and give us peace. How can anyone else  lead Uganda when he is alive?” said butcher Joshua Kawuma.

Besigye called the vote a sham.

He said huge sums had been  used to buy votes and to bribe polling agents, candidates in the  simultaneous parliamentary election, and electoral officials.

“An election conducted in this environment cannot reflect  the will of the people. We therefore … reject the outcome of  the election and reject the leadership of Mr Yoweri Museveni,”  Besigye told a news conference.