Uganda

Uganda: Tense calm before the Schicksalswahl

A day before the election, the stress is big in Uganda. Long-time President Museveni wants to stay in Power – but the Opposition’s chances are as good as never before. Ole Tangen reported from Kampala.

To Wahlkampfende can Yoweri Museveni on a disused runway in a more upscale district of Kampala, tens of thousands of supporters to once again celebrate. Well-known musicians to entertain the crowd, then holds Uganda’s President his speech.

His distinctive white hat on the head, praised Museveni for the achievements of his term of office, and swears by his followers on the plans of his party, the National resistance movement (NRM), for the years to come: “the message of The NRM:” unity brings strength, strength brings peace, peace brings development, development brings wealth, and wealth creates jobs. But the jobs avail us nothing if we are no specialists. We are, therefore, in technical universities, to invest.”

Museveni is a life long

Museveni is
been in Power since 1986. About 70 percent of Ugandans are younger than 25 years – you have never a other presidents have experienced. “I’m going for Museveni votes with him to run the Affairs of state wisely and peacefully. We are grown up with him, and never had problems,” says a young man, Isaac Mugisha, on the edge of the campaign rally.

For 30 Years President: Yoweri Museveni

Museveni is not tired to emphasize, that he is the only one that would govern the country could. His supporters on the old airstrip in Kampala see it the same way: they support the man who says he got Uganda from tyranny and guerrilla war, liberated, and stability and economic development. Most of the people in the yellow NRM T-Shirts, the Museveni during his last election campaign speech to cheer, however, with buses from surrounding areas in the capital, carted out: Kampala is a stronghold of the opposition forum for democratic change (FDC).

The calm after the storm

FDC candidate Kizza Besigye ended his campaign with a parade along the outskirts of Kampala. His Toyota Land Cruiser encompassed thousands blaugekleidete FDC supporters on foot and on motorcycles. The convoy moves peacefully and with a low police presence through the city – a stark contrast to the violence and the Tränengaseinsatz, the Besigyes campaign the day before accompanied.

On Monday ended a campaign rally in riots

The police had Besigye on Monday temporarily detained and his Wahlkampftross’s Men be prevented. In Parts of Kampala broke then
violent protests from. Protesters hurled stones at security forces, riot police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. A Oppositionsanhänger was mortally wounded, several other injured.

Serious allegations against the electoral Commission

Besigye was already at the elections in 2001, 2006 and 2011 unsuccessfully against his former companions Museveni started. He called the ruling NRM a “No Change”campaign – probably an ironic allusion to the election campaign of US President Barack Obama in 2008, “Change”, i.e. change, is written on the flags had.

Besigye accuses the Ugandan electoral Commission and their boss, Badru Kiggundu, a lack of independence. “Kiggundu and the spokesman for the electoral Commission to have repeated statements, the opposition denigrate and party for the officers to take”, says Besigye and his supporters. “Last night, Professor Kiggundu in an interview, he said that, if it were up to him, I never nominated would have. This is unheard of and sends not to go for the Chairman of a Institution with the organization of an election on behalf of the Ugandan people is entrusted!”

Head-to-head race expected

Most observers assume that the choice of the most exciting since the beginning of Musevenis rule. A total of seven candidates to go against him in the race – Besigye is the most promising of them. However, the scarce, the advantage of the incumbent, Yoweri Museveni, disconnection, the more likely is it that supporters of the Opposition protests calling, fear observers. Many Ugandans believe that the ruling party influence on the election process and, if necessary, the results of manipulate.

Kizza Besigye is the most promising opposition candidate

The Journalist and Politikanalyst Charles Mwanguhya believes that the election in Uganda in “calmly” going to happen – and that it can be closely for Museveni. Surveys assume that this is only just over 50 percent of the votes. For the case that no candidate more than half of the votes gets, the Constitution provides for a runoff between the two candidates with the most votes.

Besigye could this year so actually a real Chance. Crispy Kaheru, the coordinator of Bürgerkoalition for democratic elections in Uganda, but fears that the recent violence, many people will discourage, choose to go. The presence of the police and military will at the election to be high, so Kaheru. Could the people be intimidated. On the other hand, however, it is also possible that this show of force the people a sense of security will give them and you, therefore, in the polling stations dared.