Dr Kizza Besigye: No love lost between him and Museveni

The race was made all the more exciting because of the formerly close relations between the two men. Dr Besigye was once Mr Museveni's personal physician in the bush war that saw him come to power in 1986, and his wife was a former intimate friend of the president.

The elections did sometimes spill over into violence, some of which Dr Besigye alleged was state inspired. And the tension sometimes generated into slanging matches, with the president describing Dr Besigye's wife as a "nasty woman" and accusing his opponent of having Aids.

But the independent Ugandan election monitoring group conceded that Ugandans probably got who they voted for, even if the numerous examples of malpractice they listed could have led to an over-inflation of Mr Museveni's final vote by about 10%.

Wake up call?

Dr Besigye's campaign though has raised issues of serious concern to many Ugandans: Corruption, cronyism and the slow return to multi-party democracy.

President Museveni: Multi-party or one party future?

These views have long been shared, even by members of Mr Museveni's own cabinet, who say in private that they hope that Dr Besigye's challenge will give Museveni a wake up call - and force him to confront issues like succession and the return to pluralism.

The initial signs, however, are that Museveni has not been humbled by the experience.

He told journalists at a victory press conference that there had indeed been rigging - by his opponents. He claimed without this he would have secured 75% - the same as he polled in the 1996 elections.

The newly elected president also showed few signs that he would be softening politically.

Dr Besigye, who he described as "treacherous", would not be offered a post in his new government - even though he polled close to a third of all votes.

It was also high time, the president said, that he began awarding cabinet posts on the basis of regional support.

This was an odd statement coming from a leader, who had until now, justified restricting political party activity on the grounds that The Movement is broad based and all inclusive.

Asked to explain this apparent anomaly, Mr Museveni began listing opposition politicians in his government, but floundered after naming just one.

Multi-partyism?

However Museveni did say he would now begin considering a return to pluralism not - he hastened to add - because Dr Besigye had suggested it, but because it had been in his programme all along.

Hopefully this narrowing down of his political base indicates that he is preparing to turn the Movement into a political party, so it can compete in a new pluralist democracy - and not that he is heading in the direction of a one party state.

One thing is certain: the 2001 elections will have fallout for some time to come.

As Mr Museveni attended his victory parade, a bomb went off in the capital Kampala, a worrying sign that some of his opponents might not take defeat lying down.

It was also an ominious echo of the 1981 elections - which led Mr Museveni to begin a five year guerrilla war on the grounds that the electoral process had been rigged.