Kampala, Uganda – Ugandan opposition chief Bobi Wine has referred to as for peaceable protests, two months after Yoweri Museveni, who has dominated the nation since 1986, was declared the winner of a disputed presidential election.
“I name upon you to stand up peacefully, unarmed and reveal in opposition to the regime that has oppressed us,” the singer-turned-politician, whose actual title is Robert Kyagulanyi, stated on Tuesday on the headquarters of his Nationwide Unity Platform within the capital, Kampala.
The 39-year-old was talking beside a desk piled excessive with recordsdata, which he claimed contained outcomes types from particular person polling stations. He stated based mostly on these outcomes, he was the actual winner with 54 p.c of the vote. Al Jazeera has not but been capable of confirm the proof he introduced.
Museveni has beforehand described the January 14 ballot because the “most cheating-free” election in Ugandan historical past. Based on the nation’s election fee, Museveni received re-election with greater than 58 p.c of the vote, whereas Bobi Wine got here second with nearly 35 p.c.
The vote was performed beneath an web blackout after campaigns the place opposition candidates have been routinely obstructed by police, and many individuals have been shot useless by safety forces.
Analysts have already recognized numerous anomalies in official outcomes, together with an inconceivable turnout of one hundred pc at greater than 400 polling stations. Final week, whereas trying to dispel rumours of rigging, the fee launched one outcomes’ type wherein the numbers didn’t add up – suggesting that it had been altered to cut back the tally for Bobi Wine.
In February, the NUP chief lodged a court docket petition difficult the election outcomes however later withdrew it, complaining that the judges have been biased.
“We’ve introduced the case again to the court docket of the individuals and the entire of Uganda should now sit and move judgement,” he instructed his supporters on Tuesday.
‘Revolutionary election’
Ugandan politics has been constructing in direction of this second for months.
The opposition didn’t have belief in state establishments to organise a free election or give them a good listening to in court docket. After being nominated for president, Bobi Wine promised a “revolutionary election”, warning that if Museveni tried to cheat then he can be toppled like Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir and Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi.
In the meantime, Museveni has repeatedly claimed that there are “terrorists” and “lawbreakers” inside the opposition. In an announcement launched on Sunday, the 76-year-old accused “international meddlers and sectarian parasites” of attempting to mount an “revolt”.
Pre-election tensions boiled over throughout protests in November, sparked by the arrest of Bobi Wine – one in all many in recent times – and his two two-day detention. Younger males lit fires on the street and safety forces killed no less than 54 individuals.
Within the aftermath of the violence, Museveni rejigged his safety equipment, giving outstanding roles to his son and to military officers with expertise of city warfare in Somalia, the place Ugandan troops are concerned in a peacekeeping mission.
The military subsequently arrested tons of of opposition supporters in an effort to forestall the type of common rebellion that Bobi Wine is now attempting to foment. A lot of these arrested have been kidnapped by troopers in plain garments and held with out cost. Their family members usually have no idea the place they’re being detained.
Ofwono Opondo, a authorities spokesman, instructed Al Jazeera the opposition is planning arson and violence, regardless of Bobi Wine’s avowals of peaceable protest.
“That violence will definitely fail as a result of all these concerned are on our crime watch record,” he stated.
4 calls for
In his speech, Bobi Wine additionally listed 4 calls for: an unbiased audit of the election, an finish to abductions, the discharge of political prisoners and an finish to the observe of attempting civilians in army courts.
In Kisekka, a well-known sparkpoint for protest in Kampala, a mechanic who needed to be recognized solely as Tony watched the handle on his cellphone.
“You can not sit again when your brother is in jail,” he stated. “You can not sit again while you don’t have something to eat.”
However army police stood ominously by the roadside. With many opposition supporters in jail and safety forces on alert, large-scale protests can be arduous to drag off.
In 2011, after one other disputed election, the opposition organised “walk-to-work” protests in opposition to excessive inflation. Safety forces shot no less than 9 bystanders useless and opposition chief Kizza Besigye was airlifted to Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, after being doused with pepper spray.
Following his name for peaceable protests, Bobi Wine gave no clear timetable for motion and Kampala remained calm after his announcement.
Angelo Izama, a political analyst, stated a lot of Bobi Wine’s associates received coveted parliamentary seats within the legislative polls additionally held on January 14, which can distract from the battle for the presidency.
“The issue for Bobi Wine is that usually after the election the political momentum shifts to parliament,” Izama stated. “If he can reveal that [his party] will put their sweep of elected positions apart to give attention to the presidential ticket, maybe the nation can give attention to it … However I doubt it.”