Museveni faces seven opponents
Oct 26, 2010
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni will face seven opponents in the 2011 presidential race after three more candidates were nominated yesterday. Elections are scheduled for February 18.
By Cyprian Musoke
and Joyce Namutebi
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni will face seven opponents in the 2011 presidential race after three more candidates were nominated yesterday. Elections are scheduled for February 18.
The three candidates nominated yesterday were Peoples Development Party (PDP) president Abed Bwanika, Uganda Peoples Congress chief Olara Otunnu, and Samuel Lubega, the only independent candidate in the presidential race. They join Kizza Besigye (FDC), Nobert Mao (DP), Bidandi Ssali of the Peopples’ Progressive Party and Uganda Federal Alliance’s Beti Kamya, who were nominated on Monday.
Bwanika became the sixth presidential candidate to be nominated yesterday morning.
Bwanika, who also contested in the 2006 elections, escorted by his wife, Gladys and his supporters, turned up at Namboole stadium a few minutes to 11:00am. After a tense moment, he was announced a duly nominated presidential candidate.
Addressing journalists thereafter, Bwanika vowed to tackle poverty and the rampant unemployment, which he said were the biggest problems afflicting Ugandans.
He accused the Government of not promoting good moral values, saying it had led to corruption.
Bwanika said his campaign symbol, a bell, signifies the end of Museveni’s rule and the beginning of a new generation.
At 1:22pm, Otunnu, waving a small tree branch, came to the nomination centre in the company of his aunt, Mary Laker and other supporters.
Lubega was nominated at about 4:00pm. The commission, however, rejected his symbol consisting of a shield, a drum and a hoe, which was in the colours of green and white, the colour of the Democratic Party. Kiggundu directed him to produce a harmonised symbol not later than today.
Earlier in the day, Lubega met EC officials to try and iron out issues regarding his nomination under DP since another candidate, Mao Nobert, had been nominated a party candidate on Monday.
Lubega, who described himself as a freedom fighter, democrat and a federalist, said he had come to reconcile “our broken society,†and fight against “impunity of corruption, nepotism and marginalisation of the majority.â€
Paddy Ssali alias Bitama of the Focus Party and his supporters were blocked from the nomination venue at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, for lack of clearance from the Electoral Commission (EC).
Besides the two vehicles and escorts, the nominated candidates received a peace flag from the Be Tolerant Organisation.
Otunnu, however, is said to have initially refused to sign for the two vehicles and escorts, but his team signed for them.
All the candidates are scheduled to meet at the EC today to harmonise their campaign programmes. The campaigns kick off tomorrow, according the to commission boss, Dr. Badru Kiggundu.
Kiggundu described the nomination exercise as smooth and very peaceful.
and Joyce Namutebi
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni will face seven opponents in the 2011 presidential race after three more candidates were nominated yesterday. Elections are scheduled for February 18.
The three candidates nominated yesterday were Peoples Development Party (PDP) president Abed Bwanika, Uganda Peoples Congress chief Olara Otunnu, and Samuel Lubega, the only independent candidate in the presidential race. They join Kizza Besigye (FDC), Nobert Mao (DP), Bidandi Ssali of the Peopples’ Progressive Party and Uganda Federal Alliance’s Beti Kamya, who were nominated on Monday.
Bwanika became the sixth presidential candidate to be nominated yesterday morning.
Bwanika, who also contested in the 2006 elections, escorted by his wife, Gladys and his supporters, turned up at Namboole stadium a few minutes to 11:00am. After a tense moment, he was announced a duly nominated presidential candidate.
Addressing journalists thereafter, Bwanika vowed to tackle poverty and the rampant unemployment, which he said were the biggest problems afflicting Ugandans.
He accused the Government of not promoting good moral values, saying it had led to corruption.
Bwanika said his campaign symbol, a bell, signifies the end of Museveni’s rule and the beginning of a new generation.
At 1:22pm, Otunnu, waving a small tree branch, came to the nomination centre in the company of his aunt, Mary Laker and other supporters.
Lubega was nominated at about 4:00pm. The commission, however, rejected his symbol consisting of a shield, a drum and a hoe, which was in the colours of green and white, the colour of the Democratic Party. Kiggundu directed him to produce a harmonised symbol not later than today.
Earlier in the day, Lubega met EC officials to try and iron out issues regarding his nomination under DP since another candidate, Mao Nobert, had been nominated a party candidate on Monday.
Lubega, who described himself as a freedom fighter, democrat and a federalist, said he had come to reconcile “our broken society,†and fight against “impunity of corruption, nepotism and marginalisation of the majority.â€
Paddy Ssali alias Bitama of the Focus Party and his supporters were blocked from the nomination venue at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, for lack of clearance from the Electoral Commission (EC).
Besides the two vehicles and escorts, the nominated candidates received a peace flag from the Be Tolerant Organisation.
Otunnu, however, is said to have initially refused to sign for the two vehicles and escorts, but his team signed for them.
All the candidates are scheduled to meet at the EC today to harmonise their campaign programmes. The campaigns kick off tomorrow, according the to commission boss, Dr. Badru Kiggundu.
Kiggundu described the nomination exercise as smooth and very peaceful.