Nigeria, May 19 -- In March 2006, Uganda's Supreme Court convened to begin adjudication of the disputes over the presidential election that occurred the previous month in the country. Voting took place on 23 February. Two days later, on 25 February, the Electoral Commission announced the results giving the incumbent, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, 59.28 per cent of the valid votes cast. In second place, with an award of 37.36 per cent of the votes, the Commission announced Kiiza Besigye, a medical doctor whose military career began as part of the bush war that brought Museveni to power 20 years earlier in 1986.

In his petition against the announced result, Colonel Besigye argued that the Electoral Commission did not validly declare the results ...