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Uganda: Compromised election likely to yield faulty results
Fondly known as the "People's President", Dr. Besigye is shown in the top right corner while incumbent Museveni is shown in the lower middle.—Photo by Joseph Earnest in Kisoga town Kyaggwe
by Joseph Earnest February 19, 2016
Newscast Media KAMPALA, Uganda—The election in Uganda that concluded on February 18, was as embarrassing to the Government of Uganda, as it was controversial.
From the day Electoral Commissioner Badru Kiggundu had to apologize for the inclusion of 20,000 ghost voters, to the day he struggled to explain why voting had been delayed for almost five hours in an opposition candidate's stronghold, voters did not rule out the hunch that there was a great chance the election had been compromised.
“At least 20, 000 names were to be deleted – because those people had either died or were not known to the people in the polling stations,” Kiggundu cried. (pop-up)
As a sign of atonement, Dr. Kiggundu even promised that in this 2016 election cycle, he would announce the correct winner. (pop-up)
As of Friday no winner had been announced by Museveni's Electoral Commission, but Dr. Kizza Besigye, the main challenger of the incumbent Yoweri Museveni, and General Mugisha Muntu were arrested after it was revealed that they planned to announce the election results Besigye's organization tallied, at a press conference.
According to Team Besigye's numbers, Kizza Besigye has won the 2016 election with 51.9 percent, while Yoweri Museveni trailed at 44.6 percent.
Besigye had been arrested earlier, because, according to him, he bum-rushed a house in the Naguru area suspected of rigging votes in favor of Museveni.
Team Besigye says that their candidate had just cause, because they observed suspicious activity from a Toyota Corolla, registration numbers UAD 040K, a Toyota Wizard registration numbers UAV 311L, and a Toyota Premo UAK 453B, that they allege were carrying pre-checked ballots and government agents, for the purpose of rigging the election, as shown in the memo below:
After voting on February 18, having gathered enough information about the house in Naguru, Besigye concluded that an illegal police ring was operating from the premises with the purpose of compromising the election, and even the electoral commissioner doesn't know where the results he is reading are coming from.
This of course is a source of embarrassment for Museveni, who has since charged Besigye with trespassing on a military installation, charges Besigye says are a sham.
Museveni's paranoia was on display yesterday when government blocked social media outlets partly to demoralize the population, and stifle mobilization of the masses to polling centers. The government says, it simply blocked social media to stop the spread of lies, and for national security purposes.
While Museveni relied heavily on media houses, that acted as his press secretaries to get his message out, Besigye relied on an organic grassroots structure to gain traction against the incumbent. Tens of thousands descended upon venues that Besigye had been scheduled to make appearances at, and offered him their support in form of money and gifts, as they implored him to lead their poverty-stricken nation.
Many had wondered if Besigye could convert crowds into votes, in this two-horse race, yet if his tally center proves accurate, he will go down in history as the man who ended Museveni's dictatorship that has been suffocating Uganda and its neighbors.
Moreover, despite Dr. Badru Kiggundu's promise to announce the winner this time, there is trouble in the Museveni camp, and he (Museveni) understands that his masters in the United States will not tolerate any foolishness he attempts to exhibit, that will cost the citizens of Uganda their lives.
Secretary John Kerry has made it very clear to Museveni in a phone call today, that "The United States stands by the Ugandan people as they undertake this most essential democratic endeavor." (pop-up)
As of Friday night, Besigye's wife Winnie Byanyima said she was unaware of Besigye's whereabouts, and his phone was turned off. It is likely that by Saturday, a few phone calls from Washington to Museveni, will secure Besigye's release. (pop-up)
Investigating the inconsistencies will be no good, since it will be done by government agents, who are viewed as having "unclean hands". Because the election is tainted with fraud, and because fraud vitiates everything it enters, legally, the election should be declared null and void, and a new one scheduled within 30-60 days to uphold the Democratic principles upon which the Ugandan Constitution was founded.
It is however, unlikely that the government would wish for another round of voting, and would prefer to keep the election results, however tainted they may be.
Accordingly, anyone who gains anything using dishonest means, will always be remembered as the bird that hatched an egg, it did not lay. Add Comments>>
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