Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni‘s spokesman has slammed accusations from the U.S. government against the way and manner in which the January 14 general election in his country was carried out and how Mr. Museveni was proclaimed the victor.
According to New Vision, a government-related Ugandan news source, the Ugandan government would like to see America “fix its own elections” rather than give Uganda “lessons” on how to do that. This remark was attributed to Ofwono Opondo, the presidential spokesman.
“Uganda’s January 14 elections were marred by electoral fraud and violations by government security forces against opposition candidates and members of civil society,” a spokesman for the US State Department, Edward Price, said on Tuesday. Independent, reliable, unbiased and detailed inquiries into the accidents are strongly urged.
Opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, who was the closest competitor to Mr Museveni, charged that the elections were fraudulent and brought a case before the Supreme Court of the country. But Wine withdrew his complaint, noting the “unprecedented racism, bias and double standards” of the court.
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A former musician, Wine is popular with the youth of Uganda and in urban areas. According to the Electoral Commission, however, he received at least 2.4 million fewer votes than Mr Museveni. After the election, Wine’s home was surrounded by soldiers who refused to let him leave or welcome any guests including a delegation from the European Union(EU).
Because of what they said were the unequal circumstances that characterized the elections, both the EU and the US declined to send election observers.
Since 1986, Mr Museveni has been Uganda’s head of state. The 76-year-old is now serving his sixth term in office, a democratic soldier who pledged the rule of law and growth, forcing constitutional reforms that made his current feat possible. He is the fourth longest-serving head of state on the continent at present.
SOURCE: ATLFMONLINE
