Kampala, Uganda - Uganda's opposition has started protesting even before the results of Friday's poll are announced, describing the exercise in which incumbent Yoweri Museveni is seeking to extend his 25-year rule to 30 years as 'a sham'. Dr Olaro Otuunu, candidate for Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), said the country was ripe for Tunisia- and Egyptian-like protests that ousted Presidents Ben Ali and Hosni Barrack respectively.

“The election was a sham with absolutely no meaning. Like we have said before, it was not free and fair; it was characterised by fraud and malpractices,” Dr Otuunu told a news conference on Saturday, a day after the poll.

“It is up to Ugandans to chose whether they will submit to Museveni’s subjugation and political slavery in which the country is governed or rise up to be governed on their terms. Under natural law and the constitution Ugandans will be exercising their rights to protest like it was in Tunisia and Egypt.'

DrOtuuni sad the vote was biased, 'but we had to prove to the rest of the world and Ugandans that Museveni survives on nothing but fraud,” Otuunu, whose UPC party has been in power twice, charged.

Asked whether he will petition the courts of law, the former UN Under secretary General for Children said, “No. Like the Electoral Commission, so is the judiciary appointed by Museveni, which he has absolute control over and is not independent.” 

During the campaign, leading opposition figure, Dr Kizza Besigye, who lost petitions twice at the Supreme Court in 2001 and 2006 said he would not return to court for it was also biased. Instead, he  will go to 'the court of public opinion'.

“If our victory is stolen for the third time, it is to the court of public opinion that I will appeal. I will rely on the popular resistance of voters,” Besigye told reporters during the last weeks of the campaign.

On the eve of the polls that have been characterised by violence, rigging and malpractice, President Museveni warned Ugandans not to engage in any acts of demonstrations saying, “the Tunisia- and Egypt-like popular protests can happen in Uganda.”

Asked what would be done if it happened, Museveni told journalists that “we will round them up and lock them up in the most humane way”.

Hundreds of soldiers and police officers have been deployed in Kampala, where they are conducting patrols day and night. Key opposition figures have said the soldiers were intimidating voters.

The Red Cross said two people were killed and dozens others injured as rival groups clashed, but police denied knowledge of the incidents.

Army spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Felix Kulayigye, said police had requested help to keep the peace. However, soldiers did not go near polling centres.

“As you know, there’s the threat of terrorism. And when night comes, you can’t know what can happen,” he told reporters.

Fears of clashes were being accentuated by a government move to give paramilitary training to thousands of youths. The move, which came only weeks to the election, caused alarm.

There are claims the youth, who the government calls “crime preventors” could be used to harass opposition supporters and cause violence.

The youth are reporting to deputy police commanders, and there are claims they have been trained to use small arms. The opposition has also threatened to use youth brigades to conduct protests.

Pana 20/02/2011