Fraud Cited In Kambuga

KAMBUGA, Monday - Supporters of President Yoweri Museveni stuffed ballot boxes and, with the help of armed men, sent away opposition agents during yesterday's election, witnesses told AFP. "They came and ordered the presiding officer to tick all the ballot papers (in favour of Museveni) and slot them in the ballot box," said Ben Kanyankole, 40. He was speaking about Kakoni I polling station in Rukungiri district, where few people were at first willing to talk to international journalists because of the presence of local officials, mainly Museveni supporters. "They threatened to beat us, then we fled," Issac Byamugisha said once the group of reporters was out of sight of the officials. "We never participated in the real voting. When we arrived we were told that we had been voted for," said Felix Buhamizo, 25, adding that those who turned up early in the morning voted normally but that at around 10:00 a.m. officials came and ordered all ballot papers to be ticked in favour of Museveni. Henry Tumwesigye, 42, said the officials came with soldiers and warned that anyone who complained would be beaten. "They said whatever we complained about, the votes had to be for Museveni. Anybody who resisted would be beaten," Tumwesigye said. Other voters complained of being forced to tick ballots at the presiding officer's table and not at a designated table set a regulation 15 metres (yards) away and that a plastic bowl provided for the sake of secrecy had been removed. Officials and Ugandan election observers at all polling stations visited in the area denied any wrongdoing. Besigye spokeswoman, Anne Mugisha, told AFP that the Besigye camp would not recognise results from Kambuga. Ends