Museveni disputes opinion poll rating, predicts 80 per cent win

Mbale.

President Museveni yesterday rejected results of an opinion poll that shows that he would have won by 60 per cent if elections had been held between December 6-9- projecting that he will win the February 18 election by over 80per cent.

A poll commissioned by The Daily Monitor and conducted by Infotrak, a Kenyan firm, between December 6-9 found that out of 1,500 voters sampled, 59.9 per cent indicated they would back Mr Museveni’s bid for a fifth term-with the FDC flag bearer, Dr Kizza Besigye coming second with 20.9 per cent support.

Of those interviewed, 12.2 per cent indicated they were undecided while Amama Mbabazi, Mr Museveni’s close confidante for years, who is now challenging him for the presidency, attracted the backing of 5.9 per cent voters.

Though, according to the Poll, the Opposition has made some gains against Mr Museveni, they still have their work cut out as he still leads in key demographics such as female and rural voters.
In picking the next president, the poll found that 33 per cent of the voters will be looking for someone who is “development conscious” while 12 per cent will be influenced by the “need for change”.

However, while speaking at a press conference in Mbale yesterday, Mr Museveni rejected the findings of the poll, saying he would sweep the 2016 elections with higher figures than those he posted in the four previous presidential elections [1996, 2001, 2006 & 2011].

“The NRM will get 80 percent because we were getting 75 per cent in 1996, 70 per cent [in 2001], we went to 59 per cent [2001], and [in 2011] we were back to almost 70 percent. That was before our programme was on the ground. This electricity I am talking about was not on the ground. There was still insecurity. By 2006, security had come,” Mr Museveni said.

Biased
Commenting on the 20.9 per cent rating of Dr Besigye and the 5.9 per cent support of Mr Mbabazi, his two main challengers for the top job, Mr Museveni accused the Daily Monitor of shoring up the percentage figures of the duo, but did not back his claim with any evidence.

“They tried to push up their candidates. Mbabazi was given 6 per cent while Besigye was allocated 20 per cent. Some how they brought mine...i think it was 60 percent. That will not help you my friend. The Opposition and their sympathizers like Daily Monitor and NTV are in danger of very serious embarrassment,” Mr Museveni said.

Besigye reacts
Dr Besigye has also voiced misgivings over the rating of Mr Museveni, telling rallies in the Western districts of Mitooma and Rubirizi that the incumbent does not even have 30 per cent.

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