- Kizza Besigye was today declared candidate for Uganda's 2011 presidential by the Forum for Democratic Change (FDG), the country's main opposition party. He will face President Yoweri Museveni in the polls.
Prior to today's vote in the Ugandan opposition party, there had been some tensions and much speculation whether Mr Besigye again would by the FDG's candidate in the presidential polls. Mugisha Muntu had made a strong campaign within the party to be nominated candidate.
But Mr Besigye won by what has been called "a landslide". He gained a majority at all the eight polling stations put up by the FDG around Uganda, the party today reports from its conference at Namboole Stadium.
The experienced party leader gathered 728 of the cast votes. Mr Muntu nevertheless was given a decent 115 votes. He immediately recognised defeat and promised to support Mr Besigye's presidential campaign.
Mr Besigye has been the opposition's main presidential candidate during the last two elections, none of which were seen as free and fair by observers. The incumbent, President Museveni, was declared winner of both, although this was forcefully challenged by the opposition, claiming Mr Moseveni had stolen the vote.
The FDG candidate is well known and a rather popular figure among Ugandans and is seen as the only person able to unite the opposition vote against President Museveni.
54-year-old Mr Besigye is a former colonel in the Ugandan army and has been heading the Ugandan opposition since 1999. After the 2001 elections, he was briefly detained and went into exile claiming his life was in danger in Uganda. He returned in 2005, only to be arrested again but released in time to stand candidate in the 2006 presidential elections.
According to official results, President Museveni won the 2006 polls with 59 percent of the votes, while Mr Besigye received 37 percent. While the Supreme Court of Uganda ruled that 2006 election was marred by intimidation, violence and other irregularities, it nevertheless decided to uphold the results of the poll.
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