Ugandan leader hails vote for multiparty politics

KAMPALA - Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni welcomed an overwhelming victory on Saturday in a referendum he had promoted to end the single-party politics that he imposed on the east African state 19 years ago.

Opponents say the decision to call a referendum was a ploy to appease foreign donors who fund about half the government's budget and have long pushed for political reforms.

Meeting foreign envoys, Museveni dismissed any suggestion the turnout was very low or that an opposition boycott had worked, and said the option of using parliament to change the political system would have greatly offended most Ugandans.

According to a press release, he told the ambassadors: "As far as the outcome is concerned, I am home and dry."

A diplomat who attended the meeting said the envoys from Britain, the United States, the Netherlands and Norway had told Museveni they were pleased with the result, and hoped the necessary changes to Uganda's laws would be made soon.

Museveni banned party activity when he seized power in 1986 but recently began campaigning for their return, saying Uganda is now developed enough to open up to political competition.

Opposition groups boycotted the US$12.5 million ($18.5 million) exercise, saying it was a waste of money since the government already accepted in principle the need to bring back parties.

Ugandans are now focused on presidential polls next March, which will be contested by the newly-freed political parties.

Museveni is widely expected to stand for re-election after parliament voted to scrap term limits that would have barred him from running again.

While the 61-year-old general has yet to say if he wants more time in power, many Ugandans see his recent conversion to political pluralism as a concession to donors, intended to soften the blow when he announces he wants to stay on.

Final results from Thursday's referendum showed 92.5 per cent of voters heeded the president's call for a "yes" vote lifting the political restrictions. Officials said 47 per cent of Uganda's 8.5 million registered voters cast ballots.

"We declare that the people of the Republic of Uganda have chosen a multi-party political system henceforth," said Badru Kiggundu, chairman of Uganda's Electoral Commission.

Some observers were privately sceptical about the published turnout, but the commission denied its figures were inflated.

"This is the factual position of the Commission and we will defend it anywhere," Kiggundu told a news conference.

- REUTERS