Forum for Democratic Party (FDC) deputy president, Reagan Okumu has urged Ugandans to be ‘prepared’ for fresh polls adding that the recently concluded elections where manipulated in favor of NRM presidential candidate Yoweri Museveni
Electoral Commission (EC) on Saturday declared that NRM’s Yoweri Kaguta Museveni winner of the presidential election with 60.8 %, FDC‘s Kiiza Besigye got 35% while former prime minister Amama Mbabazi scored less than 2%
Mr Okumu said on Monday at a press conference at the Northern Uganda Media Club that the move not to recognise the outcome of the poll was the position of the FDC.
“This election is not conclusive and the population should remain calm but on standby for the second vote. As FDC we reject the results,’’ Okumu said.
“We also need the biometric system assessed again because some people voted many times without using the machine.”
Okumu, who retained his seat as Aswa County Member of Parliament, said FDC’s tallied votes showed that Besigye was leading.
“We had already tallied 52.7% by the time the results from Gulu, Jinja, Kasese, Wakiso and Kampala had been received. We are now are consulting international bodies for a way forward. We have other options like going to court, political action or dialogue.”
The FDC Deputy president said the police raided their party office before FDC could complete its tally.
Okumu said there was a deliberate effort by the EC to delay results from certain districts that are traditionally known to be opposition strongholds
In his maiden speech in Rwakitura at the weekend, President Museveni dismissed the opposition claims of rigging saying he had won the polls.
Museveni said claims by international observer that EC lacked independence was a sign of ‘not being serious’
By Terrence Alur
