Kampala — PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has defended the Electoral Commission, saying it is independent. He said the commissioners were recruited through sourcing from various professional groups, and vetted by Parliament.

Parliament's appointments committee, chaired by the Speaker, is constituted by both the ruling party MPs and those of the opposition, the President said.

Museveni was meeting the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Johnnie Carson, at State House Entebbe. They discussed a wide range of bilateral and regional issues.

The public affairs officer at the US embassy in Uganda, Joann M. Lockard, said Carson arrived in Uganda on Wednesday. He will also meet many government officials and civil society leaders during his short visit, Lockard said.

Carson's delegation included Vann H. Vandien, the political assistant secretary for the Bureau of International Security, Gen. William Ward, the commander of the US African command and the US ambassador to Uganda, Jerry Lanier.

Museveni said he was satisfied with the relations between Uganda and the US.

His press secretary Tamale Mirundi yesterday quoted Carson as saying some groups in Uganda had expressed concern over the composition of the Electoral Commission and the on-going voter registration process.

The inter-party coalition, a loose grouping of four opposition political parties, on Wednesday vowed to boycott events organised by the commission ahead of the 2011 election. The opposition accuses the commission of bias, which the Government denies.

The opposition parties want the commission overhauled and a new and independent team put in place. They also want a new modality for constituting it developed by all stakeholders before the 2011 election.

Carson reportedly said it was in the interest of the Government to strengthen the commission in order to instill confidence among the political players.

He explained that it was not the practice of the US government to support candidates in elections.

"We do support democratic principles in democratic governance and not individual candidates," he said.

He pledged US government's funding towards the voter registration process.

Museveni, however, informed Carson that there was nothing to worry about.

The commission chief, Eng. Badru Kiggundu, had never worked for government and had never supported any political party while he was chairperson of the engineers association, Museveni said.

Some names that were proposed for the commission, Museveni further explained, were rejected by Parliament, meaning that the appointment process was transparent.

On the voter registration exercise, Museveni said it was an initiative of the Government to ensure that Uganda has a clean voters register. He said the exercise is expected to capture the photographs and fingerprints of the voters in order to eliminate double registration.

The number of registered voters, he said, now stands at 10 million, while another five million are expected to register.

Museveni advised the delegation and other foreigners, who are approached by the "opportunistic" opposition members about Uganda's problems to always, offer them a cup of coffee and send them back because Uganda has structures that can solve its problems.

"There is the Inter-Party Forum, chaired by an opposition forum. This can address all the issues referred to foreigners," he added.

He also challenged the opposition members criticising the commission's membership, to identify those who are not qualified. He said Ugandan institutions are stronger than those in developed countries because they have been set up in modern times.

He said if the recent election in Britain was in Uganda, the two leading parties would have gone for a re-run but not form an alliance.

According to Mirundi, the Americans raised concern over Uganda's close ties with Iran, but Museveni explained that the US should understand that other countries also have interests.

He said in order to stop proliferation of weapons, the American government should pursue President Obama's suggestion that those who have nuclear weapons should destroy them and those who make them should be pursued.

He explained Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told him when he visited Uganda recently that Americans have double standards, by not pressurising other countries like Israel who have nuclear weapons.

Museveni challenged Americans to give him concrete evidence that the Iranians are developing nuclear weapons and that they have refused to comply with the regulations.

On Somalia, the President said there was need to take tougher action against the terrorists and ensure a roadmap towards elections so that the Somali people recover their sovereignty from the gunmen.

Discussing the Sudan issue, the Americans assured Museveni of their commitment to full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Carson said they were preparing for the eventual outcome of the referendum expected to take place in April next year.

Additional reporting by Barbara Among