Kampala — I would like to congratulate the National Resistance Movement (NRM) for the successful nomination of President Yoweri Museveni and thank everybody for the huge turn out at Kololo Airstrip for the public rally thereafter.

As I wrote earlier, the NRM crowds are the only genuine ones, because they always translate into votes.

The President's picture on the campaign posters is simply awesome! It's a vote winner all by itself.

He exudes calm and confidence and in his eyes you can see a firm and tough person who you won't push around anyhow. But behind this firmness there's a kindness that translates into the tolerance he has all along exhibited.

Now that nominations for the 2006 presidential polls are over, all is set for campaigns to begin and pressure will be on the NRM, as sections of the opposition will want to muddy it all over.

There will be claims that the NRM is rigging and employing violence to marginalise the opposition. There will be talk about the army being brought in to quench the opposition. All this will be just to portray the party as violent.

There will be severe provocation, like the proverbial wasp that wags its tail in your face, following us all over the place, even when we choose to leave them alone.

And if we react as any reasonable human would after severe uncalled-for provocation, they will all throw their hands in the air and scream, "have you seen?"

The other day Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) supporters wanted to torch the city just because their leader was facing the courts of law. Some of them were arrested with jerrycans of petrol just before they succeeded in their plan to burn some petrol stations. You imagine what would have been left of Kampala had a single station been blown up, given that petrol stations are so close to each other.

And when they were arrested, they claimed their rights to assembly, association and liberty were being infringed upon.

In the 2001 presidential election one story emerged as a classic. A supporter of the opposition Reform Agenda (RA) was brought in, with half his body heavily bandaged.

At a glance he looked like he had just been run over by a trailer.

For all we knew, the only logical thing was not to rush him to hospital (he'd surely die on the way), but to call a priest from the nearest church to come and administer an abridged and seriously expedited session of last rites to commend this unfortunate soul to his Maker. Some doubted he could even last through the last rites.

The tale was that he had been assaulted by President Museveni's supporters, who included the then Presidential Protection Unit, now known as Presidential Guard Brigade.

It was just the kind of thing that attracted indignation and the prompt condemnation of this poor man's attackers.

But just then some policeman got a brainwave and wanted to see the extent of the injuries, so he unwound the bandages. The man's skin was as smooth as a baby's bottom and the chap himself was as fit as a fiddle!

In other reports, some opposition supporters would beat up one of their own, then rush to police and report that some state functionary was responsible!

Now that the hour of decision has come, Ugandans know once again that their vote is reserved for the man they have overwhelmingly voted in twice so far and who has not let them down each time.

Let us go all out, all ye NRM-ers out there. Success is at hand, because the product we are selling is the best of them all.

The writer is NRM Deputy Spokesperson