Presidential election in Uganda: Bobi Wine's party rejects President Museveni's victory

Ugandan opponent Robert Kyangulanyi, alias "Bobi Wine", upon his arrival at the headquarters of his new political party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), upon his appointment as president of this party, in Kampala, August 21, 2020. SUMY SADURNI / AFP

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3 min

In Uganda, the National Unity Platform (NUP), the party of Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine who still remains "under house arrest" held a press conference this Sunday, January 17, and rejects, without surprise, the victory of President Yoweri Museveni, at the end of the first round of the presidential election of Thursday, January 14 and announced Saturday by the national electoral body.

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With our correspondent in Kampala,

Lucie Mouillaud

Following the announcement on Saturday of the results of the presidential election, the outgoing president obtained a sixth term with 58.64% of the vote against 34.83% of the vote for his main rival Bobi Wine.

In total, eleven candidates were in the running for this election, the results of which are disputed.

These are, in fact, the first declarations of the Platform of National Unity, since the announcement of the results.

Use legal means

One of the party's vice-presidents, Mathias Mpuuga, calls on their supporters and the Ugandans to reject the results of the presidential election.

NUP spokesman Joel Ssenyonyi called on citizens to use all possible legal means authorized by the Constitution to pursue change.

The opposition party still calls on the population to participate in the local election scheduled for next week.

Bobi Wine was therefore not present at the press conference organized at the headquarters of his party this Sunday.

Since Friday evening, the opponent says he is “ 

under siege

 ” in his house in Magere, north of the capital.

Joel Ssenyonyi denounced this afternoon an “ 

illegal detention

 ” and asked for “ 

the unconditional release

 ” of the candidate.

The police surrounded Bobi Wine's home during the day on Saturday, and no visitors were allowed to enter.

For Pan-Africanism and for Democracy

 "

For his part, President Yoweri Museveni spoke in a televised address on Saturday night for the first time since his re-election was announced.

According to him, the Ugandans voted for " 

the love of their country, for Pan-Africanism and for democracy

 ".

Read also: Presidential in Uganda: candidate Bobi Wine denounces fraud the day after the election

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  • Uganda

  • Yoweri Museveni

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