Election fever

UGANDA As we went to press, presidential candidates in the Ugandan elections were on the last leg of their election campaigns. Ugandans go to the polls on 6 March when six candidates seek their mandate to run the country for the next five years.

The aspirants include the incumbent Yoweri Museveni, Dr Kiza Besigye, Chaapa Karuhanga, Aggrey Awori, Kibirige Mayanja, and Francis Bwengye.

Museveni's main challenger is Besigye, a medical doctor. He and Museveni have a long history, having fought together as guerrillas in the 1980s; and when they won power, Besigye served for years as a senior member of Museveni's government and army.

Uganda held its last presidential election in 1996. Museveni has been the country's leader since 1986. An opinion poll by the Kampala-based New Vision newspaper says Museveni has a comfortable lead over the others. A good 54% of the respondents said they would vote for Museveni.

The elections are being held under the "noparty democracy" introduced by Museveni when he seized power in 1986.

Copyright International Communications Mar 2001
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