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.
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.