NRM Press Release on Outcomes of the Electoral Process thus far

1. The National Resistance Movement wishes to congratulate the people of Uganda for having participated in the elections and thank them for the overwhelming support they have given to the Party.
2. We also congratulate President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for the commanding lead he has established so far in the presidential contest. Furthermore, the NRM commends the powerful performance of the party flag-bearers who have scored victories in their respective races for contributing to the expansion of the party parliamentary majority in the next parliament. We also commend our opposition counterparts for participating in the election in a dynamic and energetic manner and congratulate those who have been elected.  This election has further advanced the democratic process in Uganda
3. The NRM has taken note of the fact that there were incidents during polling which infringed on the electoral process. Some of these acts of provocation against NRM led to violence. There were also cases of pre-ticked ballots in favour of opposition candidates. These incidents are not unique to Uganda except that in our case they are minor. They also provide a good background for improvement in subsequent election. These issues have been brought to the attention of the EC so they can be acted upon urgently to maintain the credibility of the electoral process.
4. There have been false allegations that the overwhelming support the people of Uganda have shown for the National Resistance Movement has been generated by bribery. This is contemptuous because it is false and malicious. The NRM like other parties facilitated its flag-bearers, party officials and agents to carry out campaign work. Some people have observed that large sums of money were used in this campaign but they only make this observation with respect to NRM. The only purpose of these observations is to tarnish the revolutionary image of NRM and raise unfair questions about the Uganda electoral process. We wish to note that campaign finance is a challenge in elections the world over even for mature democracies who are struggling to manage this issue.
5. The NRM deployed about 50,000 polling agents across the country to monitor the polls on behalf President Museveni as the NRM presidential flag-bearer. Furthermore, in every constituency the NRM had candidates for the parliamentary elections who deployed their own agents. The National Resistance Movement wishes to thank them for their vigilance and efficiency in safeguarding the vote of the party.

The National Resistance Movement is satisfied with the conduct of the election so far and awaits the announcement of the official results by the EC.

Dr Ruhakana Rugunda,
Chairman,
NRM Electoral Commission