Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine on Friday claimed victory in presidential elections, rejecting as a “joke” early results that gave President Yoweri Museveni a wide lead.
The 38-year-old former ragga singer turned politician has been the main rival to 76-year-old Museveni, who has been in power since 1986 and is seeking a sixth term.
The internet remained down for a third day as vote counting continued, with provisional results from 29 percent of polling stations giving Museveni an early lead of 63 percent while Wine trailed with 28 percent.
“I am very confident that we defeated the dictator by far. I call upon all Ugandans to reject the blackmail. We have certainly won the election and we’ve won it by far,” he told journalists.”The people of Uganda voted massively for change of leadership from a dictatorship to a democratic government. But Mr. Museveni is trying to paint a picture that he is in the lead. What a joke!” said Wine.
He said the election was marred by “illegal, high-handed actions which Museveni and his regime of blood have undertaken to set stage for the worst rigging this country has even witnessed.”
He said he would detail the irregularities once the internet was restored.
Earlier an election commission official responded to Wine’s accusations of fraud and violence saying: “Let him show the country in what manner, in what form the results are rigged.”
On Friday morning the capital Kampala was quiet and some businesses remained closed, while soldiers and police patrolled on foot the day after the election.
