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A30 world news
Dialuna 18 Januari 2021

Uganda's opposition rejects Museveni's reelection as 'fraud'

(AP) — A day after Ugan- The electoral commission
da's longtime leader was deflected questions about
declared winner of the how countrywide voting re-
country's presidential sults were transmitted dur-
election, the opposition ing the internet blackout by
party dismissed the results saying “we designed our own
as “fraud” and called for system.”
the release of their leader,
Bobi Wine, who has been “We did not receive any or-
allegedly under house ar- ders from above during this
rest since polling day. election,” commission chair
Simon Byabakama told re-
President Yoweri Museveni porters, adding his team was
won a sixth five-year term, “neither intimidated nor
extending his rule to four threatened.”
decades, according to official
results. Tracking the vote was further
complicated by the arrests of
Uganda's military on Sunday independent monitors and
continued to hold top op- the denial of accreditation to
position challenger Wine at most members of the U.S.
his home, saying troops were observer mission, leading the
there to protect him. Wine U.S. to cancel its monitoring
dismissed Museveni's victory of the vote.
as “cooked-up, fraudulent
results” while his party urged “Uganda’s electoral pro-
the government to release cess has been fundamentally
him. flawed,” the top U.S. diplo-
mat for Africa, Tibor Nagy,
Wine said Sunday that he has tweeted, warning that “the
proof that he actually won U.S. response hinges on
the election. what the Ugandan govern-
ment does now.”
“We were leading Gen.
Museveni by a very large Wine said that while he and tack on free speech and as- The U.S. State Department
margin, so large that he could his wife are being held cap- sociation,” referring to the Uganda's electoral commis- urged “independent, cred-
not recover,” said Wine, tive at their property, they are days-long shutdown of the sion said that Museveni re- ible, impartial, and thorough
speaking on his cell phone to concerned about the safety of internet by the government. ceived 58% of the vote to investigations” into reports of
international journalists from his party's polling agents and The party urged its followers Wine's 34%, with a voter irregularities. It condemned
his home. other supporters. to use every “constitutionally turnout of 52%. “the continuing attacks on
available avenue” to pursue political candidates” and
“Our polling agents have “We are detained at our political change. Although Museveni stays called for the immediate res-
proof of our victory," said house, while others have in power, at least nine of his toration of the internet and
Wine. "We have proof that been abducted and are miss- “As we speak now, our presi- Cabinet ministers, includ- social media.
the military carried out vot- ing. The military is conduct- dent (Wine) is under illegal ing the vice president, were
ing fraud but we cannot pub- ing a massive campaign to ar- detention at his home,” op- defeated in the parliamen- “We reiterate our intention to
lish these videos because the rest our agents. Many are on position lawmaker Mathias tary elections, many losing to pursue action against those
internet is cut and because the run." Mpuuga, told reporters at candidates from Wine’s party, responsible for the under-
the military is chasing our a news conference Sunday. local media reported. mining of democracy and
polling agents.” Wine said he and his support- Mpuuga spoke at the head- human rights in Uganda,” it
ers are pursuing a legal and quarters of Wine’s party in In a generational clash said.
Wine said his party, the Na- peaceful challenge to Musev- Kampala. watched across the African
tional Unity Platform, has eni. continent with a booming Some members of Museve-
video evidence of the military “Perhaps his crime was to de- young population and a host ni's ruling party, the National
stuffing ballot boxes, casting “What we are doing is moral feat Mr. Museveni on the day of aging leaders, the 38-year- Resistance Movement, were
ballots for people and chasing and right. We are doing this he has selected as his crown- old singer-turned-lawmaker injured when security offi-
voters away from polling sta- legally and non-violently. So ing,” he said. Wine “is not al- Wine posed arguably the cials tried to stop them from
tions. many people are paying the lowed to leave or receive visi- greatest challenge yet to boisterously celebrating the
price for standing up for what tors at his home,” he said. Museveni, 76, since he came president's win.
Wine tweeted Sunday that is moral and what is right for to power in 1986.
military units are not allow- Uganda. Forty-five million Wine's party alleged that sol- Events in Uganda are also
ing him and his wife, Barbie, Ugandans are yearning for diers had actually broken Calling himself the “ghetto being followed by the man
from leaving their house, not peaceful change, to redefine into his compound and were president,” Wine had strong named by U.S. President-
even to harvest food from our country and our democ- freely using utilities includ- support in Uganda's cities, elect Joe Biden to be his Na-
their garden. racy.” ing power and water. urban where frustration with tional Security Advisor.
unemployment and corrup-
“It’s now four days since Wine’s opposition party “We are concerned about the tion is high. “The news from Uganda
the military surrounded our called on all Ugandans "to state in which he is,” party Museveni dismissed the is deeply concerning. Bobi
home and placed my wife reject this fraud ... This is a spokesman Joel Ssenyonyi claims of vote-rigging. Wine, other political figures,
and I under house arrest,” revolution and not an event. said of Wine. “Is his house and their supporters should
said Wine's tweet. “We have A revolution of this nature now a barracks?” “I think this may turn out not be harmed, and those
run out of food supplies and cannot be stopped by a fraud- to be the most cheating-free who perpetrate political vio-
when my wife tried to pick ulent election.” He added: “There will be a election since 1962,” when lence must be held account-
food from the garden yester- Uganda after Museveni and Uganda won independence able,” tweeted Jake Sullivan
day, she was blocked and as- The opposition party, in a there will be an army that from Britain, said Museveni on Sunday. “After this flawed
saulted by the soldiers staged statement Sunday, said that serves the interests of the in a national address on Sat- election, the world is watch-
in our compound.” its “quest for a free Uganda country.” urday. ing.”
is on despite the current at-