Uganda opposition to challenge poll in court

KAMPALA – Uganda’s main opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party said yesterday it mount a court challenge to election results that extended President Yoweri Museveni’s two-decade rule.

“We reiterate our decision to reject the results … we have now set up a legal team to contest these results in court,” defeated FDC presidential candidate Kizza Besigye told reporters at his party’s headquarters in the capital Kampala.Final results of Thursday’s poll, announced on Saturday, gave Museveni 59 per cent of votes to Besigye’s 37 per cent.The FDC immediately rejected the results, and hundreds of its supporters were driven off the streets by riot police firing tear gas and a water cannon.The opposition claims widespread rigging and intimidation of voters.The government has labelled them “bad losers”.In his first comments after winning, Museveni warned FDC leaders to forget about violence.He said they should accept the results and try again in five-year’s time.Besigye rubbished reports that FDC was threatening trouble.”The claims by the government and security forces are meant to prepare the ground for further intimidation, harassment and arrest of our supporters and leaders,” he said.”FDC is a registered political party and we are committed to working through legal and constitutional means to achieve the desired changes in this country.”Uganda’s first multi-party polls for a quarter of a century were being closely watched in the West as a test of African democracy and for the signal it might send to others in the region who also enjoy lengthy stays in power.- Nampa-Reuterswe have now set up a legal team to contest these results in court,” defeated FDC presidential candidate Kizza Besigye told reporters at his party’s headquarters in the capital Kampala.Final results of Thursday’s poll, announced on Saturday, gave Museveni 59 per cent of votes to Besigye’s 37 per cent.The FDC immediately rejected the results, and hundreds of its supporters were driven off the streets by riot police firing tear gas and a water cannon.The opposition claims widespread rigging and intimidation of voters.The government has labelled them “bad losers”.In his first comments after winning, Museveni warned FDC leaders to forget about violence.He said they should accept the results and try again in five-year’s time.Besigye rubbished reports that FDC was threatening trouble.”The claims by the government and security forces are meant to prepare the ground for further intimidation, harassment and arrest of our supporters and leaders,” he said.”FDC is a registered political party and we are committed to working through legal and constitutional means to achieve the desired changes in this country.”Uganda’s first multi-party polls for a quarter of a century were being closely watched in the West as a test of African democracy and for the signal it might send to others in the region who also enjoy lengthy stays in power.- Nampa-Reuters