KAMPALA (UGANDA) – Long-time leader Yoweri Museveni took an early lead in Uganda’s presidential election going by the preliminary results on Friday. However, his main rival said there had been widespread fraud and his supporters had the right to take to protests.
With 29.4% of votes from Thursday’s ballot counted, Museveni had won 1,852,263 votes, or 63.9%, while main opposition candidate Bobi Wine had 821,874 (28.4%), the electoral commission said just after 11 am (0800 GMT).
The capital Kampala was quiet on Friday, a holiday after Thursday’s poll, with most shops closed.
Wine, a singer-turned-lawmaker who has inspired young Ugandans pushing for political change, told a news conference he had proof of voting fraud through videos. “We are winning,” he said.
“We are putting every legal, every constitutional and every non-violent option on the table,” Wine told. “I will be happy to share the videos of all the fraud and irregularities as soon as the internet is restored.”
On the other hand, the United States and European Union did not appoint teams of observers for this election, while both the African Union and East African Community sent teams.
Electoral Commission Chairman Simon Byabakama told a news conference that under Ugandan law, the burden of proof rested with Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi.
He said, “The onus is upon candidate Kyagulanyi to show or to prove in what context and how the results are rigged.”
Museveni, who has led the East African country with a population of nearly 46 million for 34 years, had not made any statement by noon.
On Wednesday, the government gave orders for an internet blackout until further notice, after imposing ban on all social media and messaging apps.
Byabakama assured Ugandans on Thursday after polls closed that results would be made available at the national tally centre, in spite of the internet blackout.
Without giving much details, he said, “We are not using local internet to transmit our results, we are using our own system. Don’t worry, results will come.”