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| Uganda election: Apology over voting delays | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Uganda's electoral commission has apologised over delays in opening polling stations as people queue to vote in crucial presidential elections. | |
| Difficulties in transporting electoral materials caused the delays, it said. | Difficulties in transporting electoral materials caused the delays, it said. |
| President Yoweri Museveni, 71, is seeking to extend his 30-year rule, in a race widely seen as the tightest in the East African state's history. | President Yoweri Museveni, 71, is seeking to extend his 30-year rule, in a race widely seen as the tightest in the East African state's history. |
| Seven opposition candidates are running against him. His main challenger is his former physician, Kizza Besigye. | Seven opposition candidates are running against him. His main challenger is his former physician, Kizza Besigye. |
| Mr Besigye has said he does not think the election will be free and fair. | Mr Besigye has said he does not think the election will be free and fair. |
| Uganda decides: Live updates | Uganda decides: Live updates |
| Uganda's election explained | Uganda's election explained |
| Former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi is also seen as a leading contender for the presidency. | Former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi is also seen as a leading contender for the presidency. |
| Almost five hours after the vote was meant to begin, the electoral commission issued a statement acknowledging that some polling stations had not yet opened. | |
| It added that despite the delays, voting will not be extended. | |
| The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga reports from the capital, Kampala, that thousands of people who had queued for hours got visibly frustrated over the delays. | |
| Security forces were sent in to calm the situation, she adds. | |
| A candidate needs to secure more than 50% of the vote to win outright and avoid a run-off with the second-ranked contender. | A candidate needs to secure more than 50% of the vote to win outright and avoid a run-off with the second-ranked contender. |
| Ugandans are also voting in parliamentary and local elections. | Ugandans are also voting in parliamentary and local elections. |
| Human rights groups have reported an intensifying government crackdown on opposition leaders, their supporters and the media during the election campaign. | Human rights groups have reported an intensifying government crackdown on opposition leaders, their supporters and the media during the election campaign. |
| One person was killed on Monday in clashes between Mr Besigye's supporters and the security forces in the capital, Kampala. | One person was killed on Monday in clashes between Mr Besigye's supporters and the security forces in the capital, Kampala. |
| Mr Museveni has been in office since winning a five-year guerrilla war in 1986, and he is one of Africa's longest-serving leaders. | Mr Museveni has been in office since winning a five-year guerrilla war in 1986, and he is one of Africa's longest-serving leaders. |
| His final term was meant to end in 2006, but in 2005 he won a campaign to lift the constitutional term limits. | His final term was meant to end in 2006, but in 2005 he won a campaign to lift the constitutional term limits. |
| Mr Besigye has unsuccessfully challenged his former comrade-in-arms in the last three presidential elections | Mr Besigye has unsuccessfully challenged his former comrade-in-arms in the last three presidential elections |
| Mr Mbabazi is another former ally of President Museveni. He served as prime minister in 2011-2014, when he was dismissed after announcing he would launch a rival presidential bid. | Mr Mbabazi is another former ally of President Museveni. He served as prime minister in 2011-2014, when he was dismissed after announcing he would launch a rival presidential bid. |
| During the election campaign the two opposition candidates accused the president of corruption and criticised his economic policies. | During the election campaign the two opposition candidates accused the president of corruption and criticised his economic policies. |
| Mr Museveni dismissed the allegations as fiction. | Mr Museveni dismissed the allegations as fiction. |
| Major issues for voters also include persistently high unemployment and poor quality of public services. | Major issues for voters also include persistently high unemployment and poor quality of public services. |