Uganda’s long-time President Yoweri Museveni has been re-elected, electoral officers say, amid accusations of vote rigging by his essential rival Bobi Wine.
Mr Museveni gained nearly 59% of the vote, with Bobi Wine trailing with about 35%, the Electoral Fee mentioned.
Bobi Wine, a former pop star, earlier vowed to supply proof of fraud. The Electoral Fee denies there was vote-rigging in Thursday’s ballot.
Ballot displays have criticised the federal government closure of web entry.
The say this undermined confidence. Bobi Wine mentioned he would offer proof of fraud as soon as the web was restored.
Dozens of individuals had been killed throughout violence within the run-up to the election. Opposition politicians have additionally accused the federal government of harassment.
The outcome offers President Museveni a sixth time period in workplace.
The 76 yr previous, in energy since 1986, says he represents stability within the nation.
In the meantime, Bobi Wine – the stage title for 38-year-old Robert Kyagulanyi – says he has the backing of the youth in one of many world’s youngest nations, the place the median age is 16.
On Friday, because the outcomes got here in, Bobi Wine mentioned that Ugandan troopers had surrounded and breached his house.
However a authorities spokesman accused him of “dramatising” the incident “to hunt sympathy”.
What is the newest on the election outcomes?
“The electoral fee declares Yoweri Museveni… elected President of the Republic of Uganda,” election fee chairman Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama mentioned on Saturday.
He mentioned turnout was 57% of the just about 18 million registered voters.
Earlier, Mr Byabakama mentioned the vote had been peaceable, and referred to as on Bobi Wine, who mentioned a few of his polling brokers had been arrested on Thursday, to make public the proof for his fraud allegations.
The opposition candidate believes the web shutdown is getting used to dam communication and as a manner of compromising the vote.
“I will probably be comfortable to share the movies of all of the fraud and irregularities as quickly because the web is restored,” Bobi Wine mentioned.
In the meantime, Mr Wanyama, who’s a spokesperson for President Museveni, hit again at Bobi Wine’s claims of vote rigging.
“He got here wanting the expectation of Ugandans,” he mentioned in an earlier interview with the BBC. “He had no message and Ugandans have advised him he has to attend just a little longer.”
Mr Wanyama added: “We’ve challenged him to supply proof for his claims, he has not a single iota of proof.”
The EU, United Nations and a number of other rights teams have beforehand raised issues concerning the integrity of Uganda’s election.
However, except for an African Union mission, there may be at the moment no main worldwide group monitoring the vote. Earlier this week the US – a significant help donor to Uganda – cancelled its diplomatic observer mission to the nation, saying that almost all of its employees had been denied permission to observe polling websites.
How unhealthy was the violence in the course of the marketing campaign?
Violence reached an unprecedented degree within the build-up to the race, and dozens have died throughout crackdowns by safety forces.
Bobi Wine and different opposition candidates have been arrested on a number of events, and through protests that adopted one arrest in November, greater than 50 folks had been killed.
Who’s Yoweri Museveni?
Mr Museveni, who got here to energy on the again of an armed rebellion in 1986, stood as chief of the Nationwide Resistance Motion (NRM).
He has lengthy been depicted to Ugandans as a liberator and peace bringer.
However he has managed to keep up his grip on energy by a mix of encouraging a character cult, using patronage, compromising unbiased establishments and sidelining opponents, says the BBC’s Endurance Atuhaire.
Who’s Bobi Wine?
The reggae star is thought by his supporters because the ghetto president.
His get together, the Nationwide Unity Platform (NUP), campaigns for fundamental wants like enhancing entry to healthcare, schooling, clear water and justice.
Over the past 20 years Bobi Wine’s musical output has been full of songs about these points and so they have impressed a fervent following.
He grew up in Kampala’s Kamwokya slum the place he went on to construct his now world-famous recording studio.