UGANDA: POLITICAL REFERENDUM

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(30 Jun 2000) English/Nat
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Vote counting in Uganda has begun after a referendum on whether to keep President Yoweri Museveni's "no-party" system or choose multiparty politics.
Multiparty politics have been avoided by Museveni's government, who argue that it only encourages partisan politics as parties become identified with ethnic groups.
Turnout was reported to be low - possibly after political parties called for a boycott of Thursday's vote claiming Museveni's no party system was undemocratic.
In his first public comment on the vote, Museveni said if his National Resistance Movement received less than 60 percent of the votes cast, he would consider changes to Uganda's political system.
Some polling stations in Kampala reported only half the registered voters on their lists had turned up.
The vote counting began after more than 16,000 polling stations closed on Thursday afternoon.
Final results are supposed to be announced by Saturday.
The Electoral Commission said 9-point-6 million voters had registered in the country of 22 (m) million and the Ugandan media reported a higher turnout in rural areas.
In northern Uganda, where an estimated 700-thousand people have been displaced by a long-running rebellion, the turnout was reported to be extremely low.
But there is little doubt that most Ugandans are likely to stick with Museveni's Movement, which has enjoyed the longest period of peace and economic prosperity since Uganda's independence from Britain in 1963.
Political parties are legal in Uganda, but they can't raise funds, elect officials or campaign as parties.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"By reforming the electoral law we removed all the old loopholes which they used to use to rig the elections. Therefore I call upon everybody to respect what the people have decided whichever way they decide after the counting because we are about to count. So everybody should respect the will of the people."
SUPER CAPTION: Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Basically we also have seen how Museveni has been changing. He came in as a transitional leader for four years. After that he extended himself in power for another five years. After that then the constitution was made."
SUPER CAPTION: Muhammad Kibirige, opposition Justice Forum Party leader
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