Opposition leader votes, adds President Museveni voting

(23 Feb 2006)
Nhserwe, Uganda
1.Wide shot of polling station in a catholic church
2.Uganda President Museveni walking into church and standing in queue
3. Museveni walks to table to get voting card
4 Museveni casts vote
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) President Museveni:
"Yes it is the voters who are deciding, not me. What I am telling you, is the people of Uganda have very good reasons for not voting for the movement (NRM)"
6. Medium shot of President Museveni greeting crowd
Rukuniri, Uganda
7. Uganda opposition leader Kizza Besigye walking, talking to reporters
8. Besigye preparing his ballot
9. Besigye casting his ballot in box with AUDIO of people clapping
10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Kizza Besigye, opposition leader:
"About two kilometres from my home they were already ticking for people, just nearby here. So there will be many problems in different places."
11. Besigye opening unsealed ballot box
12. Besigye signalling that box is not sealed
13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Kizza Besigye, opposition leader:
"I asked and they said the seals couldn't work, which was a lie because they brought them and they worked. But it's a weakness also I think of the agents."
14. Besigye, casting his ballot
STORYLINE:
Ugandan voters lined up in car parks, village squares and empty fields and were soaked in thunderstorms on Thursday as they chose between a leader who has ruled the country for 20 years and four challengers.
They also selected a new parliament in the country's first multiparty elections in two decades.
A spot check of polling stations around the capital, Kampala, indicated a turnout of at least 60 percent by mid-afternoon.
There were still long lines at some stations when polls closed, but those already in line would be allowed to vote under electoral guidelines.
There were scattered reports of irregularities, including ballots not being distributed properly, ballot boxes not sealed and voters being turned away because their names were not on the register.
But Thursday afternoon was too early to determine the extent of the problems.
A line of thunderstorms crossed most of the country sending electoral officials scrambling to cover up voting materials in the open-air polling stations.
Sudden downpours sent voters running for cover and gusts of wind toppled ballot boxes.
Security forces also turned out in high numbers after police said they feared some unidentified groups may try to disrupt the vote.
Incumbent Yoweri Museveni and opposition leader Kizza Besigye were the top two presidential candidates heading into Thursday's vote.
Besigye had had to split his time between campaigning and standing trial for treason, rape and other charges he and his supporters maintain were trumped up to hurt him in the election.
Voters were also electing 284 members of parliament, in the first voting day in Uganda to combine both the presidential and parliamentary elections.
Final results were expected by Saturday afternoon, as required by Uganda law.
While few voters were willing to say for whom they would vote, most said security and peace in the country were their highest priorities.
Opinion polls put Museveni ahead, with the only question being, whether he will take more than 50 percent, eliminating the need for a run-off election.
"All I can say, is the people of Uganda have very good reasons for not voting for the movement (a reference to the political system Besigye represents) said President Museveni at a polling station.
These are the first multiparty elections in Uganda since 1980, a step forward after nearly 20 years of Museveni's "no party politics."
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