Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni, one of Africa's longest serving leaders, has won a fourth term in office by a huge margin in an election disputed by the opposition.
Results from almost all the 23,968 polling stations handed Mr Museveni 68 per cent of the votes counted, with his rival Kizza Besigye trailing on 26 per cent, confounding expectations of a closely fought contest.
"The electoral commission declares Yoweri Kaguta Museveni elected president of the republic of Uganda on the presidential elections held on the 18th day of February, 2011," Badru Kiggundu, chairman of the Electoral Commission of Uganda, said in a statement.
Many Ugandans complain their country is riddled with corruption and lacks investment in public services and infrastructure. Others respect Mr Museveni for restoring stability and overseeing a period of sustained economic growth in a country previously plagued by despots such as Idi Amin.
"The lack of a level playing field and strong advantage of incumbency compromised the competitive nature of the poll," Dame Billie Miller, head of the Commonwealth observer team said in a preliminary statement today. Campaigning had been largely peaceful and voting was reasonably calm but marred by pockets of violence, she added.
The opposition plans to meet today to plot its next move. Mr Besigye has said his supporters could take to the streets and that the country was ripe for an Egypt-style revolt. He alleged huge sums had been used to buy votes and to bribe polling agents, candidates in the simultaneous parliamentary election, and electoral officials. But he stopped short of categorically rejecting the result.
"It is now clear the will of the people cannot be expressed through the electoral process in this kind of corrupt and repressive political environment," Mr Besigye, once a close political ally of Mr Museveni, told a news conference last night.
Mr Museveni, in power since 1986, and his NRM made huge gains in northern Uganda, the centre of a two-decade rebellion that has now fizzled out, and a traditional opposition stronghold, results indicated.
The region has benefited considerably from emerging trading links between Kampala and a booming south Sudan, and political analysts said Mr Besigye had taken its support for granted.
Results from the parliamentary vote showed more than a dozen cabinet ministers including those for agriculture, education and internal affairs, had lost their seats.
Reuters