


FDC – Press Statement: Democracy on Trial – The Results of the Presidential Elections must be rejected (20.02.2016)







Fellow Ugandans,
On the morning of Friday February 19, 2016, Party leaders of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) were holding a meeting at the Party Headquarters in preparation for a press conference. We intended to show the gross discrepancy between the presidential election results that the Electoral Commission was releasing and those that we had in our possession and knew to be correct.
Before the press conference, heavily armed police, operating on wrong and illegal orders from President Yoweri Museveni’s regime, invaded and disrupted our meeting and arrested Dr. Kizza Besigye, our party presidential candidate, Ms. Ingrid Turinawe, our Secretary for Mobilization, and me. We were taken to Naggalama Police Station in Mukono where we were detained all day without any charges being laid.
In the evening of the same day, Dr. Besigye and I were told that we were free to go but that Ms. Turinawe would continue to be detained.
If our arrest was intended to intimidate the leaders of FDC, the effect was to strengthen our resolve and our single-minded focus on fighting for our rights, our freedoms and democratic governance in Uganda.

One thing that all Ugandans must understand is that our fight for our rights, our freedoms and democratic governance cannot be compromised. These are the objectives on which we have focused our efforts and we shall continue to do so. Our energies, efforts and attention must remain on the achievement of those objectives.
At a strategic level, the situation is highly in our favour. At a tactical level, where Museveni still has some temporary advantages, we must focus on shifting that imbalance in our favor.
I thank all Ugandan people who participated fully and honorably in this exercise and were bold in voting and in guarding our votes throughout the country. I thank you for the sacrifices you have made. I urge you not to lose hope or to be discouraged by this temporary upset. We must all remain focused on our objectives.
I call upon all Ugandans and the international community to reject and condemn the fraud that has been committed and to expose it to the fullest extent possible.
Lastly, we must all be psychologically prepared for the occurrence of more illegal arrests and other forms of intimidation. Clearly what we are witnessing in the choreographed announcements of the fraudulent results is part of a creeping political coup d’état. However, we have no doubt at all that the Ugandan people will ultimately prevail.
Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu
Party President
Forum for Democratic Change
Kampala, Uganda

Readout
Secretary Kerry spoke over the phone today with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to underscore that Uganda’s progress depends on adherence to democratic principles in the ongoing election process and that the United States stands by the Ugandan people as they undertake this most essential democratic endeavor.
The Secretary expressed his concern about the detentions of opposition candidate Kizza Besigye and harassment of opposition party members during voting and tallying, and he urged President Museveni to rein in the police and security forces, noting that such action calls into question Uganda’s commitment to a transparent and credible election process free from intimidation.
Secretary Kerry also expressed concern about the Government of Uganda’s decision to block several popular social media and mobile money sites starting on Election Day, and he urged President Museveni to end this blockage immediately.
Finally, the Secretary noted the delay in the opening of many polling stations. Secretary Kerry said he was encouraged that the Electoral Commission is taking steps to extend polling for certain areas.

The results of the presidential elections currently being released in Uganda by the Electoral Commission do not represent the will of the people of Uganda: the election has been badly rigged by Museveni. Evidence of stuffed ballot boxes is rampant; the state closed down social media to curtail information on the rigging; delay in opening up polling stations denied millions of voters access to ballot boxes; and security forces are ready to crash any protest to the abuse of the Democratic process.
Ugandans are resolved to resist the illegal and illegitimate stay in office by Museveni and the NRM regime. We call upon all democratic forces the world over to stand in solidarity with us and to resist any temptation to lend credibility to this shameful abuse of human rights by the Museveni government. Let the international observers take note that it is the truth that Ugandans expect from them not artificial and hypocritical cleansing of this gross abuse of the Democratic process.
We call upon all people of faith to pray for Uganda at this difficult time.
Bishop David Zac NIRINGIYE
Formerly, Assistant Bishop of Kampala Dioces
Church of Uganda
Currently Director
The Democratic Alliance (TDA) SECRETARIAT

The tense and tearing reports that are reported and the comments made while the Electoral Commission is witholding informations as they are the only once allowed to check the votes and declarations forms from the polling stations; as they want the information of the public on their own and not in the public domain; as the votes are a civic duty done by the public and the once voted in is supposed to represent the public will. So hat Dr. Badru M. Kiggundu says: “Anyone who mimics Electoral Commission mandate of declaring results is likely to find themselves in trouble.”
As 30 Military Police Men armed with AK47 telling residents to get home and stay inside while they take the ballots in Kisasi in Kampala.

As the NSSF leaders are telling their staff to go home and get safe as the tension of the town is boiling as the streets are filled with military police and armed police officers, mambas controlling the streets. This here is no fiction this here is the will of the President Museveni.
The continuation of striking rigging has happen again at another Polling station in Kampala as in the St Peters Nsumbi-Nansana where the public reacted to the late delivery of the ballot-papers and voting material for the second day in the row. As the Electoral Commission has a blatant regard to the people of the area, as the public and citizens was angry at the way the authorities treat them; ended with Police shooting at the public and the ballots hasn’t even been casted at the polling station. “The new reports is that 12 Polling stations in Kampala where people not have the ability to go to the polls in this elections” (Uganda Radio Networks, 19.02.2016).
Police and Military has taken over Kampala as pictures of police in heavy gear shown in Bwaise as well. Even Badru Kiggundu the chief of EC has said about the places that has burned ballots: “They can wait until 2021”. If you rig this elections hope you can rot in Luzira until 2021 Mr. Kiggundu!

As the Army and Police is going at Talley Centers and addressing the public with guns and tear-gas. The NRM has this message: “Comrades we encourage you to keep the peace and avoid getting on the wrong side of the law”. The law the decides if you’re not one of us you can lose everything in a heartbeat, you are such gentlemen especially right after the polls, when the public you been rallying for months have tasted the tear-gas and live bullets from the police, military police and army men. You can be so proud of your comrades who creates violence!
As this happens the UCC calls in the public and says that those that uses VPN to access Social Media that the UCC monitoring it and sees them, and will call it treason. Then 1,5m people are breaking the law and committing treason against the state… means that UCC must create a big state prison or sending them to one of the islands at Lake Victoria. Since that is massive amount of people; want to wish UCC a great job clearing that slate.

Police Spokesman Patrick Onyango says; “We are holding Dr Besigye for his safety. We fear he might be crushed to death by his supporters.” Something is wrong in that picture as the FDC doesn’t have the issue it the police who struggle with the publics reactions to the support they have for Dr. Kizza Besigye. That is the truth and the Police, and the authorities cannot live with it. Deputy Spokesman Polly Namaye says on NBS TV: “Besigye, Mutu and others were not arrested today. Rather their ‘mobility was inconvenient’”. She must make IGP Kale Kayihura so proud where he is delegating the charade today.
The reports from Kampala coming in as the demonstrations in different parts of town has happen and even tires been burned in the middle of the street. The tally of diseased citizens is up to 5 and one policeman. Six people too much as they all have family and friends. Dying for the ballots and for the reasonable results after the elections it is not worth it. It is not worth it to be hurt by tear-gas or detained as the people are suffering in the dictations from above, as the regime is struggling with seeing the power slide-by and change that is coming.

Inside information on how NBS TV is instructed to drop the regimes messages to the public:
“Keep my identity to yourself but truth is, NBS seems to be under an “order from above” influence. All the results we are relaying are from Kasule Lumumba. The situation is so tense here because SFC is all deployed in our office here. Hope you know what I mean”.
In Kamuli the Tally Center has been closed to the public as the place is guarded by armed police force and heavy military deployment of the building. People cannot get information there to verify the results of the ballot count or tallying as that is not a public affair, but a Police and regime controlled affair.

In Rukungiri the public goes mad as the Police stops them from entering the Talley center in town as the results are about to change from last night, as even monitors on the inside has announced that they will put the numbers in from the declarations forms again; as the first batch of numbers has to be crunched again. Minister of Information Jim Muhewezi has stopped the people with Special Forces Command reacts to the people’s reactions and shooting in the air as they attack his car!
Defense Minister Crispus Kiyonga of Kasese is not happy with not being popular in his own area in Kasese. So the issues that he will not verify the numbers and tally result of the votes. The public of the town is displeased with the actions done by the incumbent as the police and military police share their bullets and tear-gas on the citizens as their will doesn’t matter.
In Gulu breaks into CHAOS as the local Talley Centre proclaim that Jacob Oulanya declared the winner and the MP seat of the area (New Vision, 19.02.2016). The locals are angry as they feel betrayed by the ones counting the ballots and stealing the election in the area.

Even UMEME Limited Power Company are serving their master today:
“Power has been switched off to work on broken wires at Yesu Amala T/C . affected areas. Namugoona, Part of Nakibinge Rd, Nansana Jenina, Nansana Church of Uganda, Nansana Yesu Amala, Nansana Police, Part of Ochieng, Part of Nabweru Rd, Nansana Kabumbi, Part of Kyebando SDA Church, Nansana Masitowa” (UMEME, 19.02.2016).
As the regime continues with attacking democratic values and the public will at amp speed Andrew Mwenda has speak his peace: “Electoral Commission has been under immense pressure from Museveni hold free and fair elections”. The tally and numbers of bullets and tear-gas canisters in the street; shows that they have not delivered and secondly the peace has been far away as the hours pass, the fair is not even close as the NRM-Regime has run the pre-election period as a wild west and giving hard time to the opposition.
US Embassy in Kampala statement of actions today:
“We strongly condemn the disproportionate police actions taken today at FDC headquarters in Kampala. We call on security forces to exercise restraint. The Ugandan people have exhibited patience despite their frustrations during the voting period” (U.S. Embassy, 19.02.2016).
If you thought it was only Leaders of Opposition who is under fire today and civilians supporting them. Even Gen. Katumba Wamala has been confirmed arrested. The loyal UPDF general who has followed orders and taken charge of the army during the last months; even during the pre-election period spoke well about how the Army will support the Electoral Commission in their mission. He was taken yesterday and taken to secure location around Entebbe during the night.

There will be more to this story as the actions unfolds and the stories from the ground hit the wall with a bang, as the regime using the security outfits to spread fear and take control of political partisan affair, as they can’t trust other things than guns, President Museveni forget that the world sees and as I able to get this information this quick 10.000 miles away and knows that he is rigging numbers in Amuru and for instance dropping lies on NTV earlier today saying NRM have won Amuru. Proves what is wrong and they should fear that the truth will be dropped and 2011 losing will not happen as the cooking of number is not accepted this time around. Peace.











We can forget to validate the tallying that comes from Namboole today as Badru Kiggundu talks about the final fixed result on Saturday or Sunday. As the Electoral Commission is working under fire from Mzee, as he can’t live with the will people, therefore he is still enforcing militarization of politics as the Police and Army is busy detaining Dr. Kizza Besigye and other FDC “big-men” while sieging FDC HQ and sieging Hon. Amama Mbabazi house.
While the disturbing relentlessness of releasing numbers from the Electoral Commission and also losing of declarations forms in certain districts, and that tally numbers coming from places where the votes hasn’t even been casted. While the Police and army spreading fear in the public while the EC is cooking the numbers to fix the NRM. We know what you do and while your sweeting in the offices and wonder how you will switch the tallies and how many votes you have to pre-tick ballots or calling them.

Forum for Democratic Change under siege today:
As Dr. Kizza Besigye is set under house arrest today following the findings of a pre-ticking operations for President Museveni, something nobody should find as they are close knit and tightly incorporated with government facilities and organizations as the Police and NRM-Regime knows all about it.
Today the continuation of Police Force is working against the FDC as they have put the FDC headquarter in Najjanankumbi under siege and even raided the offices as the FDC has put up another Talley Center as the official ones was giving out numbers to sustain President Museveni and stifling votes. Something the Police could not handle at this present state of affairs. The leading operator is Andrew Felix Kaweesi from the Police.
Later as the escalating offences of the FDC, as they question the numbers coming from the Electoral Commission at this point; the siege of the offices is not enough. As the Youth of the area start to demonstrate as of the siege of the FDC Offices closure; this leads into the police shooting live bullets and tear-gas towards the demonstrating youth. They even used a helicopter to throw tear-gas into the compound of the FDC office. (That is some Hollywood kind of actions that would make Michael Bay proud – Mr. Kale Kayihura!).

The Demonstrating Youth also stood and carried out the demonstrations on the Entebbe Road in Kampala as the youth doesn’t accept the siege of the FDC HQ. Police’s Director of Human Resource Development Andrew Felix Kaweesi says they are there to ensure FDC does not announce illegal election results. As the Police is shutting down the demonstrations they has also help from the Army. The Military Police is also at the spot drilling the bullets and tear-gas at the FDC HQ as the siege is continuing.
And yet again Dr. Kizza Besigye was arrested at the FDC Headquarter and taken to an unknown location again. Together with Dr. Besigye the other main FDC figures being arrested by the Police today are Gen. Mugisha Muntu, Ingrid Turinawe and Wasswa Birigwa. They have been arrested for keeping a parallel Tally Center! The UPF and IGP Kayihura can you do this?
A local station, 107.9 FM, reported at 1:43 p.m. that Besigye and another FDC official, Joyce Ssebugwawo, had been taken away in a car by police (Kampala Express, 19.02.2016).
Crowds in protest: students gathered at Makerere University in Kampala demonstrating against the arrest of opposition leader Kizza Besigye (Al Jazeera English, 19.02.2016). Eye witness account:
“Plumes of thick black smoke spiral into the air and the crowds start to run. Some are dressed in sleeveless red university graduation gowns, others carry leafy tree branches to symbolise a past war. They are not all students, but they do all want the same thing: to see President Yoweri Museveni relinquish power to Kizza Besigye” .
There is also reported demonstrations in Mengo and in Kisenyi in Kampala. The Police is shutting it down with tear-gas and bullets, as the public throws stones at the Police (93.3. KFM Radio, 19.02.2016). There been also reported shots fired in Katwe and Kololo and petty vile photoes from the streets are coming in social media. That I don’t have the stomach to deliver.. as the Live bullets and tear-gas hurt the public!

The latest news broadcast by 93.3 KFM at 3:03 p.m. spoke of “a lot of rampage” at Kasangati and Kawempe although the Kiseka Market area had calmed down a little by 3:00 p.m., with all the shops closed (Kampala Express, 19.02.2016). In Kiseka Market the Police has shot two people and the picture is spreading online as the victims lay on the streets. a sad sign of the violence of the state and the regime!
Also ordinary people are taken to be detained as they are in the area and demonstrate to the regimes shut-down of the FDC party officials and its headquarter. This here can only be under order of Mzee.

Go-Forward Group:
As other opposition leaders usually is safe. Hon. Amama Mbabazi house is set under house arrest as his home is sieged by the Uganda Police Force and the Army as he is such and threat to the ruling regime. It seems… As that happens at the same time some Polling Agents storms his house demanding pay for guarding his votes!
Amama Mbabazi wrote this:
“This afternoon, police vehicle with Field Formation Unit officers arresting anyone that was outside my gate. They were also accompanied by military police. I am yet to find out why” (Mbabazi, 19.02.2016).

Continue of Voting in Kampala:
In Kampala where certain voting has restarted today after the delays of material yesterday as for instance in Gaba, where the demonstrations and anger towards the Polling station occurred. The voters who are named in the Category S-Z are not allowed to vote at the polling stations. (Me asking, so they are the already pre-ticked ballots then?).
At Ggaba Trading Centre the polling station opened today as well because of yesterday’s delays. While this happen though. The Polling station got material, but not the voting material for presidential elections.
In other parts of the Country:

In Masaka the Police have started to have heavy deployment around the Talley Center of the town. In Kasese the police has shot tear-gas into the Talley center in the town.
In Nebbi where President Museveni is busy supervising the distribution of Hoes to the public as a appreciations of the voting yesterday. So subtle Mr. President!
Suspicious of rigging, here is reasons why:
In Rubavu in Western Uganda, a government official was caught with pre-ticked ballots for President Museveni. While in Bundibugyo where the presiding officers of the elections and their declarations forms goes missing (The Observer, 19.02.2016). In Bulambuli the results from 6 Polling Stations, Returning Officers claim the Declarations Forms was stolen from the Polling Officers yesterday (The Observer, 19.02.2016). In Sembabule where at certain polling stations yesterday there wasn’t even voting yet, as “at Kirama, Ntusi Primary School, Kazooma A, Lwemibu, Mageege Kinoni all had result 4 tallying even tho they didn’t vote yesterday” (The Obsever, 19.02.2016).
What is some other Presidential candidates up to?
“Presidential candidate Abed Bwanika has been intercepted at Mutukula border by Ugandan security while trying to sneak into Tanzania. He is now being driven back to Kampala, reports indicates” (Red Pepper, 19.02.2016).
Latest on Dr. Kizza Besigye:
He has yet again been sent home to his home in Kasangati by the Police. Right now this is unconfirmed. Have no information on the other “big-men” and detained FDC Officials or public around Kampala that the Police has taken in today. While this reports has been taken back. He is not yet home. Dr. Kizza Besigye and the other FDC Officials are detained in Nagalama Police Station as we speak! He was never home in Kasangati after taken from FDC Headquarter. Winnie Byanyima confirms that he is detained together with the other FDC officials, and not yet escorted home!
I think this is enough for now. More to come as the events unfolding in amp speed right now! There is certainty that the NRM-Regime works hard to suppress the will of the people and the change of power as the siege of opposition is a proof of! There is vicious attempts to destroy democratic values again from the authorities and doesn’t seem to seek the truth. The Police, Military Police and the Army is deployed heavy and guns around as the fear and tension is sky high. Peace.

ARTICLE 19 is deeply concerned by the decision by the Uganda Communications Commission to block access to social media while millions of Ugandans head to the polls on election day.
This morning, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) blocked social media sites. UCC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Fred Otunnu cited “national security” and that the platforms were being “used to campaign on voting day”. He added that Uganda Electoral Commission had complained about alleged online campaigns that were continuing after 16 February, when all election campaigning was required to cease.
Henry Maina, Regional Director of ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa explained that “this ban on social media platforms is part of a number pervasive systemic measures by the government of Uganda to limit freedom of expression and access to information during the election period. Blanket bans on social media cannot be justified under international law and are wholly disproportionate.”
“At a time when the world’s gaze is on Uganda and the Presidential elections, we call on the Ugandan authorities to immediately revoke the blocking of social media and allow Ugandans to exercise their right to freedom of expression, as well as their right to participate in a free and open election process,” added Maina