Zak Malang
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 30, 2008
- 5,404
- 234
Wana-JF: Wale Synovate waliowahi kuzua utata mkubwa katika tathmini zake za kura za maopni za uchaguzi mwaka jana, yamewakuta tena kwa wenzetu Uganda. Soma habari hii iliyotoka leo katika gazeti la The African on Saturday la leo, habari ambayo origin yake ni gazeti moja la Uganda:
Synovate in Uganda poll mess
Kampala, Uganda
SYNOVATE, the market research and media monitoring firm that made headlines in the country during last years election campaign from its controversial opinion poll findings, has again entangled itself in another storm this time in Uganda.
In the ongoing election campaigns that country, the research firms new opinion poll has been surrounded by confusion that places President Musevenis support at 67 per cent after both the pollster and the opposition group reported to have commissioned it denied being party to the project.
The poll, conducted by Synovate leaked to the New Vision newspaper by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), was reportedly commissioned by the opposition coalition, the Inter-Party Cooperation.
The New Vision yesterday reported that having found the results not in favour of their candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye, the opposition coalition shelved the polls results. According to the poll, Dr Besigye, who posted 37 per cent votes in 2006, now has 19 per cent of the vote. But Synovate officials yesterday denied being party to the project; a position also echoed by the IPC.
We have never released any opinion poll results, said Synovate Ugandas Country Manager Virginia Nkwanzi Isingoma. We do our own opinion polls and our results are always different from what New Vision has. Whenever we are to release any results, we do not send the report to only to New Vision, we invite all the other media companies.
The opposition yesterday said the poll was concocted by the NRM to psychologically prepare the voters for the rigging and also demoralise its supporters. If they are sure of winning, why are they going around trying to buy off people with Shs1.5b? said IPC director for communication, Ms Margaret Wokuri.
A senior FDC official, Francis Atugonza, has accused a member of the First Family of trying to offer him a Shs1.5b inducement to defect from the opposition and join the NRM
The Democratic Party (DP) spokesperson, Paul Kakande, said: Those polls results were prepared even before the campaigns started. They want to use it as a reference after rigging so that people do not contest the election results.
But NRM deputy spokesperson Ofwono Opondo yesterday insisted their party intelligence had established the IPC sanctioned the poll whose results were received before Christmas.
The IPC and their friends in Nairobi asked a company called LongBridge consulting firm which later commissioned Synovate to do the polls, said Mr Opondo. Synovate was never told who the consumer of the results was and when they went for the launch of the results in Nairobi, they met Dr Besigye, Semujju Nganda, and Gen. Mugisha Muntu in the room waiting for the results.
According to the poll, DPs Nobert Mao has 3 per cent, UPCs Olara Otunnu at 2 per cent, Uganda Federal Alliances Beti Kamya has 1 per cent support while PPPs Bidandi Sali has 0.37 per cent. Dr Abed Bwanika of the PDP has 0.35 per cent and independent candidate Samuel Lubega posts 0.28 per cent.
The New Vision reported that the poll was conducted between December 3 and 14, capturing 1,979 respondents with 95 per cent confidence level and a margin of error of +/- 2.2.
An earlier opinion poll conducted by Afrobarometer put President Museveni at 66 per cent but this has been dismissed by his opponents, who said the exercise was heavily infiltrated by state intelligence.
Synovate was involved in a huge controversy in Tanzania following one of its its opinion poll findings that had placed the CCM presidential candidate, Jakaya Kikwete at 71 per cent approval and Chademas candidate, Dr Wilbrod Slaa at 12 per cent.
Opposition parties and other people reacted by saying that the findings did not reflect the true picture and was designed to prepare room for poll rigging.
Synovate in Uganda poll mess
Kampala, Uganda
SYNOVATE, the market research and media monitoring firm that made headlines in the country during last years election campaign from its controversial opinion poll findings, has again entangled itself in another storm this time in Uganda.
In the ongoing election campaigns that country, the research firms new opinion poll has been surrounded by confusion that places President Musevenis support at 67 per cent after both the pollster and the opposition group reported to have commissioned it denied being party to the project.
The poll, conducted by Synovate leaked to the New Vision newspaper by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), was reportedly commissioned by the opposition coalition, the Inter-Party Cooperation.
The New Vision yesterday reported that having found the results not in favour of their candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye, the opposition coalition shelved the polls results. According to the poll, Dr Besigye, who posted 37 per cent votes in 2006, now has 19 per cent of the vote. But Synovate officials yesterday denied being party to the project; a position also echoed by the IPC.
We have never released any opinion poll results, said Synovate Ugandas Country Manager Virginia Nkwanzi Isingoma. We do our own opinion polls and our results are always different from what New Vision has. Whenever we are to release any results, we do not send the report to only to New Vision, we invite all the other media companies.
The opposition yesterday said the poll was concocted by the NRM to psychologically prepare the voters for the rigging and also demoralise its supporters. If they are sure of winning, why are they going around trying to buy off people with Shs1.5b? said IPC director for communication, Ms Margaret Wokuri.
A senior FDC official, Francis Atugonza, has accused a member of the First Family of trying to offer him a Shs1.5b inducement to defect from the opposition and join the NRM
The Democratic Party (DP) spokesperson, Paul Kakande, said: Those polls results were prepared even before the campaigns started. They want to use it as a reference after rigging so that people do not contest the election results.
But NRM deputy spokesperson Ofwono Opondo yesterday insisted their party intelligence had established the IPC sanctioned the poll whose results were received before Christmas.
The IPC and their friends in Nairobi asked a company called LongBridge consulting firm which later commissioned Synovate to do the polls, said Mr Opondo. Synovate was never told who the consumer of the results was and when they went for the launch of the results in Nairobi, they met Dr Besigye, Semujju Nganda, and Gen. Mugisha Muntu in the room waiting for the results.
According to the poll, DPs Nobert Mao has 3 per cent, UPCs Olara Otunnu at 2 per cent, Uganda Federal Alliances Beti Kamya has 1 per cent support while PPPs Bidandi Sali has 0.37 per cent. Dr Abed Bwanika of the PDP has 0.35 per cent and independent candidate Samuel Lubega posts 0.28 per cent.
The New Vision reported that the poll was conducted between December 3 and 14, capturing 1,979 respondents with 95 per cent confidence level and a margin of error of +/- 2.2.
An earlier opinion poll conducted by Afrobarometer put President Museveni at 66 per cent but this has been dismissed by his opponents, who said the exercise was heavily infiltrated by state intelligence.
Synovate was involved in a huge controversy in Tanzania following one of its its opinion poll findings that had placed the CCM presidential candidate, Jakaya Kikwete at 71 per cent approval and Chademas candidate, Dr Wilbrod Slaa at 12 per cent.
Opposition parties and other people reacted by saying that the findings did not reflect the true picture and was designed to prepare room for poll rigging.
