Amid tardy delivery of voting materials, Ugandans tried to cast ballots Thursday in presidential and parliamentary elections, while a top worldwide election observer called the delays “worrying” and the main opposition party said they were deliberate.
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Such is Ugandan democracy under President Yoweri Museveni, a ruler who “typifies [an] African autocrat who uses controlled elections to feign democrat”, Human Rights Watch director Ken Roth tweeted Thursday.
All sides accuse each other of stoking tensions and assembling vigilante groups to intimidate rival candidates, and the leading opposition contenders predicted vote rigging in the ballot that Museveni is widely expected to win.
Besigye said he had “very reliable information, corroborated information that there was a house in a suburb of the city… where the operation of rigging the elections is centered”.
Mr. Besigye, his former ally and personal physician, has run unsuccessfully against Mr. Museveni in three past elections, often suffering harassment by the police.
It was the second time in a few days that Besigye was held by police.
However, only three-fifths bothered to turn out in 2011. At a news conference this week, he called the election a “struggle for democracy”.
The United States, which gives financial support to this East African nation and helps train its military, was among those condemning the brutal actions.
While this is a competitive election, Museveni has a strong advantage as the incumbent, including favorable media coverage and support from security forces.
Voting is scheduled to last for nine hours, ending at 4pm (1300 GMT) Mike Sebalu, campaign spokesman for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, said that he believed turn-out would be high and urged a peaceful vote. Police said the house was a security facility and accused Besigye of trespassing on government property.
Nganda dismissed the accusation, saying that “they always concoct charges” when political figures are arrested.
Besigye, who has been regularly arrested, was briefly detained on Monday, triggering clashes between his supporters and officers in riot gear. Police said the candidate was arrested because his route posed a security risk and had not been negotiated ahead of time.
In Thursday’s election, voters were also electing members of the 385-member parliament.
Mr Museveni’s NRM party was scathing. A handful of polling stations will reopen on Friday, it added.
The delay sparked concern from an independent watchdog and anger among voters.
Elections in 2006 and 2011 were marred by violent, and occasionally deadly, street protests and the liberal use of tear gas by heavy-handed police. At least two polling stations in the area were shut down. In Burundi, President Pierre Nkurunziza’s June decision to amend the constitution in order to run for a third term ignited unrest, resulting in more than 300 deaths.
But there was frustration as some stations remained closed more than four hours after the official 7 a.m. start.
According to the Commission, difficulties in transporting electoral materials caused the delays.
Ibrahim Ayakiza was the first in line at the Mpumudde High School polling station on the outskirts of town.
“You have to be here on time because many people will be coming when the polling centre opens that means you will wait longer than one who came early like me”, Musoke said.
The commission said Museveni, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, garnered 1.36 million votes out of a total 2.32 million votes counted so far from 6,448 polling stations – less than a quarter of the 28,010 stations across the country.
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The ban on social media was sharply criticized by human-rights groups and diplomats.
