Ugandan opposition leader warns of fraud ahead of presidential poll

Uganda’s main opposition candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, on Tuesday warned of planned rigging by the ruling party, two days before Thursday’s presidential poll.

“(President Yoweri) Museveni is known for vote-rigging, so be careful and guard your votes,’’ Wine said at a joint press conference with other opposition leaders in the capital, Kampala.

Wine, 38, who has the support of Uganda’s youth, faces off against Museveni, 76, on Thursday, together with nine other candidates.

But the singer turned politician is said to be the only one to have a real chance of winning against Museveni, one of Africa’s longest-ruling heads of state, who has been in power since 1996 and changed Uganda’s constitution to enable himself to run for yet another five-year term.

“After voting, stay behind to guard the votes, Use phones to document the process, because we understand that Museveni plans to cut off the internet so that he can rig,’’ Wine said.

Wine also warned that electoral fraud “will turn into a recipe for violence.’’ “The people of Uganda are not going to accept any illegality,’’ he added.

The run-up to the election has already been overshadowed by the violence occurring on an almost daily basis, with government security forces dispersing rallies, mostly by the opposition, using tear gas and live bullets.

NAN