The Uganda army and the Uganda police have warned Uganda’s opposition leaders against organising mass protests following their dissatisfaction with the outcome of the last week’s Presidential Elections.
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.