President Yoweri Museveni concluding his election campaign

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afrol News, 20 February - With 98 percent of the votes already counted, Uganda's Electoral Commission can already conclude on a large victory for President Yoweri Museveni. But will the opposition accept defeat?

The Electoral Commission of Uganda - earlier criticised by opposition leader Kizza Besigye of being an instrument of President Museveni - in a seemingly transparent way has been publishing results from Uganda's 24,000 polling stations as they have been counted; including on its website.

With 97.7 percent of the votes counted, there is no longer a question of what the official result will be. Currently, President Museveni is leading the poll with 68.3 percent of votes cast. Opposition leader Besigye has obtained 26.1 percent of the votes counted.

President Museveni's almost landslide victory and re-election cannot be refuted, at least if the preliminary official results are to be believed.

The 2011 presidential elections so far have been among the most peaceful ever held in Uganda, despite opposition threats to launch an Egypt-like revolt if the vote was manipulated.

President Museveni, in power for 25 years, during the election campaign has shown muzzles, but mainly resorted to positive campaigning, including a wide diffusion of his own rap song. Bullying and intimidation of Ugandan voters - a normal practice in the country - reportedly has been far less than during other election campaigns.

But there are concerns that the aftermath of the elections may be less peaceful. The opposition, quoting long experience with unfair and unfree elections, for months has been building on its case that the Electoral

Opposition leader Kizza Besigye campaigning in rural Uganda

© Besigye campaign/afrol News

Commission will manipulate the results.

Only last week, an opposition delegation finally was able to present its demands to Commission Chairman Badru Kiggundu; including a wider participation of local candidates in the poll count and the publishing of results. All demands were rejected, and the Besigye campaign again made a point of the Commission "laying grounds for cheating."

The Uganda-based Democracy Monitoring Group, which has monitored both the campaigning period and the actual poll, has registered several irregularities, including voter intimidation and ballots pre-marked for President Museveni. But the group's assessment so far is milder than at previous occasions.

As the results started ticking in yesterday, the Besigye campaign first started publishing the Electoral Commission's results. But they soon stopped as President Museveni's lead was becoming clearer.

So far, Mr Besigye has made few public statements since it became clear that official results would confirm President Museveni in office. He has however vaguely rejected the official results, saying "it is now clear the will of the people cannot be expressed through the electoral process."

The opposition leader has threatened to start an Egypt-like revolt in Uganda if the vote again was manipulated. President Museveni, on the other hand, has promised not to allow such a protest movement. So far, Mr Besigye is keeping his options open.

By staff writers

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