Yasiin Mugerwa
6 November 2008
The American Ambassador to Uganda, Steven Browning, members of Parliament, diplomats among other bigwigs yesterday praised Senator Barack Obama's victory as the newly elected first African-American President of the United States.
Speaking at the US Embassy's 2008 Election Night event at Sheraton Hotel in Kampala, Mr Browning welcomed President Obama's historic victory, saying; "It's an important step in our history of Americans for an African -American, a member of the minority to be elected by the majority. It's an accomplishment and I congratulate him for his historic election as our new President of the United States."
Democratic Senator Obama defeated his rival Republican John McCain, who moments after Obama declared the new US president elect accepted defeat, saying "I deeply admire and commend Mr Obama for the victory." McCain called on his supporters to lend the next president their goodwill.
Mr Obama captured the key battleground states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, before passing the essential figure of 270 Electoral College votes at 0400 GMT, when projections showed he had also taken California and a few of other states.
Talking about Sen. Obama's victory, Mr David Eckesom, the Usaid director, told Daily Monitor that Sen. Obama's victory was good for America and democracy. "It's going to be a different administration and we expected change and we are going to see miracles because Obama's victory is indeed, a great story for democracy."
At the US Election Night, among the invited guests who turned out to witness Obama's historic victory, were a host of MPs led by Kasilo MP, Okupa Elijah who, like other legislators endlessly praised Obama's election as mammoth success to the black race.
"I am extremely happy and I don't regret spending a night here waiting to see Obama, the new president of the United State declared a president. He has indeed made us proud as Africans and we expect a lot from him as a continent," Mr Okupa said.
The opposition Peoples Progress Party (PPP) President, Mr Bidandi Ssali was among hundreds who endured the aloofness of the nigh weather conditions to observe Obama's victory. "Obama will change some of the radical policies of George W Bush, double aid to Africa and oversee the donor funds to fight corruption that had dogged African countries for years."
The Public Affairs Officer at American Embassy, Ms Lisa Heilbronn, welcomed Obama's election, insisting that any practical policies should emphasise doubling aid to Africa as part of the wider efforts to fight poverty, disease and hunger on the continent.
The 2008 US Election Night event which started at 8:00pm on Tuesday to 10:00am on Wednesday morning, involved a tease ballot in which Ugandans unanimously voted for Senator Obama beating McCain in the process. Obama got 69 votes and McCain with only 9 votes.
Ms Margaret Ssekajja, the Chairperson of Uganda Human Rights Commission said she would like Obama prioritize human rights issues and double aid to Africa.
Chwa MP, Livingstone Okello-Okello welcomed Obama's victory and said that his regime designs a policy reversal in which all donor funds to Africa will be closely monitored as part of the wider efforts to curb corruption. "The corrupt countries should lose aid.
Issues of democracy and human rights should be emphasized especially in African countries where we have chaos."
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