EU mission calls on Uganda to release detailed election results

A European Union mission has urged Uganda on Thursday, to release detailed results from last week’s presidential election, which extended President Yoweri Museveni’s 30-year rule, which the opposition has called fraudulent.

Uganda’s Electoral Commission declared Museveni, 71 and in power since 1986, the winner of the Feb. 18 vote with about 60 per cent of the vote.

The EU’s Election Observation Mission statement was released soon after an aide to Kizza Besigye, the main challenger, said Besigye had been arrested for the sixth time in about a week.

Besigye, who challenged Museveni in three previous elections, was also blocked from leaving his house on Wednesday, when local elections were held across Uganda. Human rights groups say they have been blocked from meeting with him.

The EU mission “encourages the Electoral Commission to publish without delay the detailed results from each polling station” so that voters and the candidates can “comprehensively evaluate the election results.

“The electoral process is completed only when all candidates have rightfully exercised the relevant legal avenues without fear, intimidation or other undue restrictions,” Eduard Kukan, the Chief Observer, said in a statement.

Candidates have 10 days after a winner is declared to contest an election’s outcome,” it said in a statement.

The spokesperson for Besigye said that his party has yet to decide whether it will formally dispute the results, but said Besigye’s detentions is creating an obstacle to its activities.

“The arrest of our candidate has affected the time limit that we have to lodge a petition,” said Ingrid Turinawe. (Reuters/NAN)