With over half of ballots counted, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has further consolidated his lead in the country's first multiparty presidential elections in more than 20 years, according to partial results announced Friday evening.

Ugandan Electoral Commission (EC) said they've counted 58 percent of tallies from polling stations all over the country, and Museveni had won 63.06 percent as against 33.98 percent for Kizza Besigye of the opposition Forum for Democratic Changes, while three other candidates raked in only about 3 percent.

The Electoral Commission said they've counted 4,230,390 votes, and Museveni took 2,561,591, and Besigye got 1,380,304.

Millions of Ugandans went to polls Thursday in the country's first multiparty elections since multiparty politics was banned some 20 years ago.

President Museveni is favored to win the presidential race, with Besigye his main rival. If neither man wins 50 percent votes in the first round, a run-off will be held within a month. But the latest results left only a slim chance for that to happen.

Though the number showed more possibility of the incumbent extending his 20 years of power, EC chairman Badru Kiggundu earlier had cautioned that the results were still partial.

"We cannot predict who will win the elections, since the counting is still underway," he said.

But the final results will be announced before 5 PM (14:00 GMT) on Saturday, which is the deadline, he added.

Three other candidates in the presidential bid include Mayor of Kampala John Ssebaana Kizito of the Democratic Party, Miria KaluleObote of the Uganda People's Congress, and independent candidate Abed Bwanika.

(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2006)