This is the turning point for Uganda - Muntu 

SOURCE: THE DAILY MONITOR, 24 NOVEMBER 2012

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/This-is-the-turning-point-for-Uganda---Muntu/-/688334/1627162/-/15ijdhyz/-/index.html

 Maj. Gen. (rtd) Gregory Mugisha Muntu receives a hug after he was announced winner of the FDC party president polls at Namboole yesterday.

In Summary

Bows out. As Dr Besigye, says he will now concentrate on the struggle for liberation and that the next party president must devise new methods of raising money for the party.

A former Army Commander, Maj. Gen. (rtd) Gregory Mugisha Muntu, is the new Forum for Democratic Change party president. At 6:36pm yesterday, the FDC Electoral Commission chairperson, Mr Dan Mugarura, announced that Maj. Gen. Muntu had returned 393 votes (50.64 per cent), defeating Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi, who got 361 votes (46.392 per cent).

Tororo County MP Geoffrey Ekanya came third with 17 votes (2.91 per cent) in the three-horse race to lead the biggest opposition party in the country.

Gen Muntu’s win marked the end of a tense 90 days that saw the three candidates traverse the country to canvass for votes in a campaign which has tested the FDC’s ability to stay united.
The party rules provide that a winner would be decided if one candidate gathered 50 per cent plus one vote.

A total of 776 votes were cast as the party marked a transition from founding president, Dr Kizza Besigye, who has thrice run against President Museveni in bitterly fought national polls. Dr Besigye has consistently rejected the outcome of his contests with Mr Museveni in 2001, 2006 and 2011 as having been rigged in favour of the incumbent.

Jubilation
Delegates, who had convened at Namboole stadium erupted in jubilation as Gen. Muntu was lifted shoulder high by supporters.
The Mafabi camp was clearly devastated, with some of his supporters collapsing.

Mr Mafabi, however, promised to work with the winner and asked members to be accountable to the party. Proceedings at Namboole were not without some drama. At polling station number 7, controversy brewed, forcing a recount of votes.

Mr Toterebuka Bamwenda, the FDC deputy spokesperson, and a member of the Elect-Nandala task force, said his team would petition the FDC National Election Tribunal over “multiple voting”.

“Alice Alaso voted seven times and Francis Epetait voted three times,” Mr Bamwenda said. Ms Alaso, who is the party secretary general, however, said she would reply after reading the promised petition.

Tension, excitement and intrigue characterised yesterday’s election as delegates drawn from Uganda’s 80 districts as at 2010 struggled to marshal last minute support for their candidates.

Police was heavily deployed in and around the stadium complex as voting commenced at 2pm. Earlier, at 11am, rumours of voter bribery rippled through the conference. A lady identified as Ms Anita Among was reportedly caught distributing money. No action was taken by party security though. Other unknown persons were seen holding tags written on “Namboole staff” although the stadium management could not positively identify them as part of their staff.

At the main gates, there were skirmishes as police fought off people without accreditation. Most claimed to be delegates who had been disenfranchised. Several people were arrested on suspicion that they wanted to take advantage of the commotion to commit crimes.

Dr Besigye had stayed in the shadows throughout the campaign, refusing to take sides in a process which sometimes threatened to come undone by mudslinging, sectarian tendencies and accusations of voter manipulations.

Yesterday, he told delegates he was leaving the party leadership “to concentrate on the struggle to liberate Uganda.”
Dr Besigye leaves the party leadership just two years shy of the end of his presidency, which would have ended in 2014.

“Once I have handed over the party leadership today, I will concentrate on the struggle to liberate Uganda,” he said.
This was yet the first hint Dr Besigye was giving that he will again offer himself for election when the country goes to the polls in 2016. The FDC constitution allows any party member, popularly elected, to stand as party flag bearer in national elections.

“I will be available to the new party leadership and to the party if called upon to do so. I am not going to the tall grasses,” Dr Besigye added.