With over half of ballots counted, Ugandan President Yoweri
Museveni has further consolidated his lead in the country's first
multiparty presidential elections in more than 20 years, according
to partial results announced Friday evening.
Ugandan Electoral Commission (EC) said they've counted 58
percent of tallies from polling stations all over the country, and
Museveni had won 63.06 percent as against 33.98 percent for Kizza
Besigye of the opposition Forum for Democratic Changes, while three
other candidates raked in only about 3 percent.
The Electoral Commission said they've counted 4,230,390 votes,
and Museveni took 2,561,591, and Besigye got 1,380,304.
Millions of Ugandans went to polls Thursday in the country's
first multiparty elections since multiparty politics was banned
some 20 years ago.
President Museveni is favored to win the presidential race, with
Besigye his main rival. If neither man wins 50 percent votes in the
first round, a run-off will be held within a month. But the latest
results left only a slim chance for that to happen.
Though the number showed more possibility of the incumbent
extending his 20 years of power, EC chairman Badru Kiggundu earlier
had cautioned that the results were still partial.
"We cannot predict who will win the elections, since the
counting is still underway," he said.
But the final results will be announced before 5 PM (14:00 GMT)
on Saturday, which is the deadline, he added.
Three other candidates in the presidential bid include Mayor of
Kampala John Ssebaana Kizito of the Democratic Party, Miria
KaluleObote of the Uganda People's Congress, and independent
candidate Abed Bwanika.
(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2006)
