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Uganda ruling party says polls free and fair

Posted on: Thursday, 23 February 2006, 11:00 CST

KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda's ruling Movement party said Thursday's election was free and fair and rejected accusations from the opposition as the complaints of "bad losers."

"We are satisfied. The Electoral Commission and security services did their bit and the voters conducted themselves well," Movement spokesman Ofwono Opondo told Reuters. "I think the opposition (Forum for Democratic Change) are bad losers"

The FDC has complained of "multiple irregularities" in the polls -- the first multi-party contest for 25 years in the east African nation -- and may challenge the result in court.

Opondo said the government had expected the FDC to take legal action, even before the polls, and rubbished FDC claims voters' names were missing from the register due to foul play.

"We need to differentiate between technical hitches and political motives," he said, adding his younger brother had been unable to vote for the Movement because he was not listed.

"Voting is supposed to be secret," he said. "Why do they think all the missing names are their supporters?"

President Yoweri Museveni -- who is running against his former doctor, FDC candidate Kizza Besigye -- and hopes to extend 20 years in power that the opposition says have become increasingly autocratic

Source: REUTERS

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