This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/19/world/africa/top-opposition-candidate-in-uganda-is-arrested-on-election-day.html
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Top Opposition Candidate in Uganda Is Arrested on Election Day | Top Opposition Candidate in Uganda Is Arrested on Election Day |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| KAMPALA, Uganda — The main opposition presidential candidate in Uganda was arrested briefly late Thursday in Kampala, the capital, as vote counting began in presidential and parliamentary elections marred by the late arrival of voting materials. | |
| The candidate, Kizza Besigye, was arrested in the suburb of Naguru, where he had gone to investigate reports of ballot-stuffing in a house run by the country’s intelligence agencies, said his aide, Shawn Mubiru, who is in charge of communications for Mr. Besigye’s party, the Forum for Democratic Change. | The candidate, Kizza Besigye, was arrested in the suburb of Naguru, where he had gone to investigate reports of ballot-stuffing in a house run by the country’s intelligence agencies, said his aide, Shawn Mubiru, who is in charge of communications for Mr. Besigye’s party, the Forum for Democratic Change. |
| He said Mr. Besigye was taken to an unknown location. The police did not respond to requests for comment. Wire reports later said Mr. Besigye had been held for 30 minutes. | |
| Mr. Besigye is the main challenger to President Yoweri Museveni in the presidential election, in which six other opposition candidates are also running. | Mr. Besigye is the main challenger to President Yoweri Museveni in the presidential election, in which six other opposition candidates are also running. |
| Mr. Besigye’s supporters said the delays were deliberate and were aimed at favoring Mr. Museveni and as a countermeasure against Mr. Besigye, who is popular in Kampala. A senior foreign election observer called the delays “absolutely inexcusable.” Several dozen polling places never opened on Thursday, and the election commission late Thursday said they would be open on Friday. | Mr. Besigye’s supporters said the delays were deliberate and were aimed at favoring Mr. Museveni and as a countermeasure against Mr. Besigye, who is popular in Kampala. A senior foreign election observer called the delays “absolutely inexcusable.” Several dozen polling places never opened on Thursday, and the election commission late Thursday said they would be open on Friday. |
| The government also shut down access to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. | The government also shut down access to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. |
| In the Ggaba neighborhood of Kampala, hundreds of people waited for seven hours for one polling place to open before voting papers finally arrived. When the voters found out that the ballots were only those for choosing members of Parliament, not the president, they overpowered the police, grabbed the ballot boxes and threw them all over a field. | In the Ggaba neighborhood of Kampala, hundreds of people waited for seven hours for one polling place to open before voting papers finally arrived. When the voters found out that the ballots were only those for choosing members of Parliament, not the president, they overpowered the police, grabbed the ballot boxes and threw them all over a field. |
| The police fired tear gas, and polling officers fled before any votes were cast. | The police fired tear gas, and polling officers fled before any votes were cast. |
| “If the election is free and fair we will be the first people to respect it, even if we are not the winner,” Mr. Besigye said Thursday at a polling station in his rural home, Rukungiri. “But where it is not a free and fair election, then we must fight for free and fair elections because that is the essence of our citizenship.” | “If the election is free and fair we will be the first people to respect it, even if we are not the winner,” Mr. Besigye said Thursday at a polling station in his rural home, Rukungiri. “But where it is not a free and fair election, then we must fight for free and fair elections because that is the essence of our citizenship.” |
| In Kampala, a spokesman for the Forum for Democratic Change said the delays were a “deliberate attempt to frustrate” voters in urban areas where Mr.Besigye is believed to be very popular, especially Kampala and the neighboring district of Wakiso. | In Kampala, a spokesman for the Forum for Democratic Change said the delays were a “deliberate attempt to frustrate” voters in urban areas where Mr.Besigye is believed to be very popular, especially Kampala and the neighboring district of Wakiso. |
| “Why is it that in areas where we enjoy massive support, like Kampala and Wakiso, that’s where these things are happening?” said the spokesman, Ssemujju Nganda. “We can’t have a credible election under this environment.” | “Why is it that in areas where we enjoy massive support, like Kampala and Wakiso, that’s where these things are happening?” said the spokesman, Ssemujju Nganda. “We can’t have a credible election under this environment.” |