Uganda opposition calls protests against
disputed poll
24 February, 2011 | By Barry Malone and Elias Biryabarema
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda's opposition Thursday called for
peaceful protests against the government's huge election win last
week, but amid tight security, demonstrations did not immediately
erupt.
Besigye said last week's presidential and parliamentary polls were a
sham due to widespread bribery, ballot box stuffing and intimidation.
"We therefore make a call to action. The time is now for the people
of Uganda to rise and peacefully protest against the outcome of the
2011 elections," Besigye, leader of the Inter-Party Cooperation
coalition, told a news conference.
"We call upon all our leaders in every district to organise and
address peaceful public rallies and marches to call for fresh
elections."
Besigye has repeatedly warned Uganda is ripe for an Egypt-style
uprising although some analysts question the popular appetite for
unrest.
The capital, Kampala, remained calm in the hours after the call for
action, though security was heavy with soldiers and police patrolling
on foot and standing guard at intersections, while riot police
traversed the city in trucks.
People were divided about whether the call to protest was justified
and the flow of pedestrians and traffic through the city's business
districts was unaffected.
Opposition officials told Reuters that protests may begin on Friday.
"SLAVES IN OUR OWN COUNTRY"
"Everybody is at peace now so I don't think people will accept
protests," William Mbayo, a 20-year-old who works at an Internet
cafe, told Reuters.
"You can see that security are deployed in numbers. People have
been killed by the police and soldiers in riots here before so they are
scared now."
But a number of 'boda-boda' motorbike taxi drivers, who are often
involved in political protests, told Reuters they would join a public
revolt should it erupt.
Besigye unsuccessfully appealed to the Supreme Court after
Uganda's last two elections but, though the judges agreed there had
been vote-rigging and violence against the opposition, they said it
had not affected the overall result.
The 54-year-old Besigye, Museveni's field doctor during a five-year
civil war that thrust the president to power, says he is now appealing
to the "court of public opinion."
A police spokeswoman warned opposition supporters not to take to
the streets to overturn Museveni's election to a fourth term in office.
"We can't allow them to demonstrate, there's already enough
tension," Judith Nabakooba told Reuters. "The public should desist
from following the orders of those politicians because during the
demonstrations people will commit crimes and they will be held
individually accountable."
Museveni has threatened to arrest Besigye if he incites unrest and to
'bundle' demonstrators into jail.
But opposition leaders were unmoved.
"We can chose to remain slaves in our country, we can chose to be
subjugated by Museveni or we can chose to be the owners of our
country and to be masters of our land," said Olara Otunnu, leader of
the Uganda Peoples Congress, another opposition presidential
candidate.
(Editing by Jon Hemming)
Courtesy
disputed poll
24 February, 2011 | By Barry Malone and Elias Biryabarema
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda's opposition Thursday called for
peaceful protests against the government's huge election win last
week, but amid tight security, demonstrations did not immediately
erupt.
- President Yoweri
Museveni, one of
Africa's longest
serving leaders after
25 years in power,
was handed 68
percent of the vote
by the electoral
commission Sunday
with closest rival
Besigye said last week's presidential and parliamentary polls were a
sham due to widespread bribery, ballot box stuffing and intimidation.
"We therefore make a call to action. The time is now for the people
of Uganda to rise and peacefully protest against the outcome of the
2011 elections," Besigye, leader of the Inter-Party Cooperation
coalition, told a news conference.
"We call upon all our leaders in every district to organise and
address peaceful public rallies and marches to call for fresh
elections."
Besigye has repeatedly warned Uganda is ripe for an Egypt-style
uprising although some analysts question the popular appetite for
unrest.
The capital, Kampala, remained calm in the hours after the call for
action, though security was heavy with soldiers and police patrolling
on foot and standing guard at intersections, while riot police
traversed the city in trucks.
People were divided about whether the call to protest was justified
and the flow of pedestrians and traffic through the city's business
districts was unaffected.
Opposition officials told Reuters that protests may begin on Friday.
"SLAVES IN OUR OWN COUNTRY"
"Everybody is at peace now so I don't think people will accept
protests," William Mbayo, a 20-year-old who works at an Internet
cafe, told Reuters.
"You can see that security are deployed in numbers. People have
been killed by the police and soldiers in riots here before so they are
scared now."
But a number of 'boda-boda' motorbike taxi drivers, who are often
involved in political protests, told Reuters they would join a public
revolt should it erupt.
Besigye unsuccessfully appealed to the Supreme Court after
Uganda's last two elections but, though the judges agreed there had
been vote-rigging and violence against the opposition, they said it
had not affected the overall result.
The 54-year-old Besigye, Museveni's field doctor during a five-year
civil war that thrust the president to power, says he is now appealing
to the "court of public opinion."
A police spokeswoman warned opposition supporters not to take to
the streets to overturn Museveni's election to a fourth term in office.
"We can't allow them to demonstrate, there's already enough
tension," Judith Nabakooba told Reuters. "The public should desist
from following the orders of those politicians because during the
demonstrations people will commit crimes and they will be held
individually accountable."
Museveni has threatened to arrest Besigye if he incites unrest and to
'bundle' demonstrators into jail.
But opposition leaders were unmoved.
"We can chose to remain slaves in our country, we can chose to be
subjugated by Museveni or we can chose to be the owners of our
country and to be masters of our land," said Olara Otunnu, leader of
the Uganda Peoples Congress, another opposition presidential
candidate.
(Editing by Jon Hemming)
Courtesy
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