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Government: Uganda Post-Election Protesters âHooligansâ

   Peter Clottey  March 09, 2011
   Forum  for  Democratic  Change  opposition  leader  Dr.  Kizza Besigye
   displays  pre-marked  ballot papers, during a news conference at party
   headquarters in Kampala Uganda, February 19, 2011

Photo: AP

   Forum  for  Democratic  Change  opposition  leader  Dr.  Kizza Besigye
   displays  pre-marked  ballot papers, during a news conference at party
   headquarters in Kampala Uganda, [file]

   The  spokesperson  for  Ugandaâs  government describes anti-government
   protesters   demonstrating  against  alleged  rigging  by  the  ruling
   National  Resistance  Movement  (NRM) in last monthâs presidential and
   parliamentary elections as hooligans and property destroyers.

   Kabakumba  Labwoni Masiko says the protesters defied the countryâs law
   by refusing to inform the police about the demonstration. Police fired
   tear  gas  Wednesday to disperse the protesters after accusing them of
   attacking people in Kampala's Kisekka market and made eight arrests.

   âThere  are  mechanisms  to  resolve  [disputes] for those who are not
   happy  about  the  [election]  in  courts  of law. And, of course, our
   constitution allows peaceful demonstration, but the way they organized
   the  [protest],  they  did  not  follow  the laid down regulations and
   laws,â said Masiko.

   âFor  somebody  to  have a demonstration, they must inform police, for
   the police to provide security for them, to know how many they will be
   and  to  check out the route so they donât disturb the business people
   or  bother  people  who are going about their own work, which they did
   not do,â she added.

   Masiko  also  denies  the police fired live ammunition to disperse the
   protesters.

   âThat  is  not  true. I know they confronted them with teargas, one or
   two,  because they were becoming rioters. But, that was about it,â she
   said.

   Witnesses  say  the  protest  broke  up  shortly after security forces
   stepped in.  The demonstrators challenged the legitimacy of President
   Yoweri  Museveni's  re-election last month. Opposition leaders say the
   presidential poll was rigged, a charge Museveni has denied.

   Masiko  says  the arrested protesters will be prosecuted for violating
   Ugandaâs  laws.  She denies accusations that the ruling NRM party used
   more  than $60-million (600-billion shillings) for its campaign during
   the elections.

   âWhat  is  their  source  of those figures? I donât know how much they
   know the money our party put in. But, for the sources, one, there were
   sources  that  the  president  used  were from the party, then for the
   security detail, whatever was attached to him, he is allowed by law to
   use those privileges during the campaign,â said Masiko

   Uganda's  longtime leader won the presidential poll with 68 percent of
   the  vote. Rival  Kizza Besigye came in second place with 26 percent.
   Uganda's  police  chief has accused the opposition of trying to incite
   violence and destabilize the country after a peaceful vote.

   Besigye  and  his four-party coalition have said any government formed
   by  Museveni  is  illegitimate. With the win, Museveni earned a fourth
   term in office. He has ruled Uganda since seizing power in 1986.

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