With nearly all the results in from Uganda's referendum on a multi-party system, the current government is winning by a wide margin. Election officials say President Yoweri Museveni's movement system won about 90 percent of the ballots nationwide. Voter turnout was just over 40 percent. Uganda's leading opposition parties boycotted Thursday's referendum, so there was little campaigning on behalf of a return to multi-party politics. Democratic Party spokesman Anthony Ssekeweyama says the modest turnout is evidence of what he called an effective boycott. By comparison, voter turnout in Uganda's last presidential election four years ago was more than 70 percent. Most oppositon leaders refused to take part in this referendum because they say the right to organize politically is a universal right, not something to be decided in a vote. Under the current system, parties are legal in Uganda but their activites are severely restricted. They may not sponsor individual candidates nor hold national conventions. No new parties have been registered in the last 14 years of President Museveni's rule. Victory for his movement system in this referendum means those restrictions on political activity will continue through next year's presidential and parliamentary elections. Opposition leaders say President Museveni has used the movement system to make Uganda a one-party state. They accuse him of trying to hang-on to power by debilitating political parties who might challenge him in parliament. Opposition leaders are critical of Uganda's continuing involvement in the war in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo and accuse the government of widespread corruption. President Museveni says Uganda has prospered over the last 14 years with more people having access to doctors, clean water, electricity, and telephones. He is expected to run for re-election next year and this referendum was seen by many as a way of testing the popularity of his movement. President Museveni says the country is not ready for a return to multi-party politics which he says divides the people along ethnic and religious lines. www.bdnetpro.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------