Besigye returns as FDC flagbearer

By Vision Reporter

KAMPALA - Former FDC president Kiiza Besigye was late Wednesday declared the party’s flagbearer for the 2016 presidential elections after a sweeping victory over his predecessor and challenger Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu.

The retired colonel, who has run for president three times before, won with a convincing 68.5% of the total number of votes at an FDC delegates’ conference staged at Namboole Stadium.

He got 718 votes while Muntu, who was Uganda's longest serving army chief (1989 - 1998), received 289 votes.

Besigye’s supporters, predicting victory, had started jubilating way before the vote counting had even reached midway.

It will be the fourth time the FDC stalwart will try to unseat his political nemesis President Yoweri Museveni of the NRM from power.  He has unsuccessfully tried three times before – in 2001, 2006 and 2011.

Following his victory, Besigye, 59, now stands a chance of becoming the joint opposition candidate under The Democratic Alliance.

But he will again have to contest against candidates fielded by other opposition parties in the alliance.

Earlier in the day, Besigye was received by his lively supporters who cheered and escorted him all the way to conference hall, where the meeting would take place.
 

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Muntu arrived moments later, also surrounded by his followers.

Top-on-the-agenda of the meeting was to elect the party's flagbearer for the upcoming presidential polls.

Muntu, who had been rated by many keen followers of the FDC race as the more articulate, however failed to cross the finishing line ahead of Besigye in a charged contest that has left the party deeply polarised.

Some estimated 1,000 delegates voted, but somes ballots were declared spoilt.

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Supporters of Besigye took to the floor to celebrate his looming victory way before even the vote counting

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FDC president Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu attended the delegates' conference accompanied by his wife Julia
 

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It was a highly charged delegate's meeting at Namboole
 

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For some, it was an opportunity to make some money outside the venue

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Here, Besigye greeting Gen. David Sejusa at Namboole. (Credit: Roderick Ahimbazwe)

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A youth throwing shoes in a scuffle at the FDC delegates' conference. (Credit: Roderick Ahimbazwe)

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JULY 6, 2015: Besigye and Muntu, pictured here at the FDC headquarters in Kampala, congratulate each other after being nominated for the party's flagbearer race