Presidential Elections: I declare Besigye a winner, Museveni a loser
Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) rejected presidential election results as presented by the Electoral Commission.
And on Monday last week, Dr. Besigye sought to walk to the Electoral Commission to pick election results.
He asked youth around Kampala join the walk.
As usual, this is Besigye’s typical “defiance campaign.” It is witty- he knew police would block his planned walk.
Up to now, he is still incarcerated at his Kasangati home.
Journalists are being arrested for merely showing up to cover the unpleasant situation while many people have been denied access to Dr. Besigye’s residence.
As per my discernment, though Besigye won in only 14 districts, he did score a good percentage-35.61 and that should sooth his weeping supporters.
Probably, he ought to start a long walk to the 98 districts where he lost chiefly to diagnose and fix the cause of the low scores.
Let’s compare statistics.
In 2011 presidential elections, Besigye scored 2,064,963 voted representing 26.01 percent while Museveni garnered 5,428,369 votes representing 68.38 percent.
In just concluded elections, Besigye scored 3,508,687 votes representing 35.61 percent while Museveni got 5,971,872 votes representing 60.62 percent.
Museveni’s votes reduced by 7.76 percent while Besigye’s votes soared by 9.6 percent.
So, who is the winner? It is Besigye.
Actually, he should be jubilating but at the same time thinking about how to wheel up his percentage to 50 percent plus one vote in 2021.
It is possible! Don’t condemn me if I say so.
Yes! Museveni is Popular in Rural Areas
I tested Musevni’s popularity in the countryside when I visited my home in Ruhaama, Ntungamo late January.
Both Besigye and Museveni had campaigned in the district.
I decided to assess the worth that voters attached to political songs which played a critical role during campaigns by wooing masses to different divides.
NRM’s Tubonge Nawe was the only popular political song during those days while Besigye Songa enjoyed total obscurity.
When I inquired, people said they had never heard about Besigye’s song though it was a popular hit in urban areas.
While Besigye is popular in urban areas, the opposite is true in rural areas-FDC lacks grass root support and structures.
This must be Besigye’s priority.
During the visit, I came to learn that even staunch Besigye supporters had crossed to the side of “the old man with a hat”.
Yet in Kampala, we were singing Besigye!
That is why he must kick off the walk by strolling to Amudat district where he polled 521 votes representing 2.01 percent
To score 50 percent in 2021 elections, Besigye must toil harder than Museveni.
That is why he shouldn’t walk to electoral commission but to districts like Bundibugyo, Kibaale, Kisoro, Kotido, Moroto, Nakasongola, Kyenjojo, Nakapiripirit, Buyende, Kiruhura, Napak among other where he notched less than 20 percent of the votes.
These are countryside districts where majority of the voters reside.
I am pretty sure Museveni is already mooting strategies of bringing down Besigye’s percentage in the next round of elections.
As advised by diplomats, Dr. Kizza Besigye needs to restrain from using language that stokes tension and violence in the country.
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Its good the Electoral Commission published results that all presidential candidates scored at every polling station.
Let us get to the commission website, point out the discrepancies. Let’s gather courage to admit the truth
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