By Sharon S. Tibenda

25^th Oct 2010

Dr. Kizza Besigye warned govt against election theft

Presidential candidates for the 2011 general elections are to be nominated today and tomorrow at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.

The candidates so far cleared for nomination are incumbent President and NRM flag bearer Yoweri Museveni, IPC’s flag bearer Dr. Kizza Besigye, UFA’s Beti Kamya, and PPP’s Jaberi Bidandi Ssali.  DP’s Nobert Mao and UPC’s Olara Otunnu are yet to have their supporters’ signatures verified by the Electoral Commission but are expected to be nominated.

To qualify for nomination, the Presidential Elections Act requires every aspiring presidential candidate to secure the endorsement of 100 registered voters from at least 75 of Uganda’s 112 districts.  Before clearing Besigye for nomination on Saturday, the Electoral Commission had by Thursday refused to clear Dr. Besigye for today’s nomination on grounds that some of the voters from 50 districts who endorsed his candidature were not duly registered voters.

At the time, Dr Besigye declared that “…we are going to get nominated for the elections on Monday even when we are not sure of the voter register [and] when we know that the entire EC is working on behalf of President Museveni”.

Besigye added that unlike in the previous elections in 2001 and 2006, this time round, the opposition was expecting nothing less than a truly free and fair electoral process.  Anything short of that, he said, the opposition would be prepared to fight.

“…It is unreasonable to expect that during these elections the NRM will not engage in vote rigging.   I am sounding a warning that we shall go to this election demanding a fair process and, if it fails, we are ready to fight”, Besigye warned.

Besigye’s warning is a culmination of serious disagreements between the government and the opposition parties over the EC’s credibility to clean up the voters register and organise free and fair elections in 2011.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that the current Kiggundu-led EC was not competent enough to organise the country’s general elections.  In spite of that ruling, Dr Kiggundu and his fellow commissioners were reappointed by President Museveni last year amidst protests from the opposition parties who to this day still maintain their total rejection of Kiggundu’s EC.  END.  If it’s Monday, it’s Uganda Correspondent.  Never miss out again!