Uganda elections 2021: Bobi Wine takes on Yoweri Museveni
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-55649467 Version 6 of 11. It has not always been possible to maintain social distance in the voter queues The internet has been cut off in Uganda as voters cast their ballots in a hotly contested election. A 38-year-old singer is challenging Yoweri Museveni, 76, in one of the world's youngest countries. Robert Kyagulanyi, known by his stage name Bobi Wine, says he represents the country's younger generation, while Mr Museveni says he is standing for stability. Dozens of people have been killed in the run-up to the election. Africa Live: Updates on this and other stories The pop star, the president and a Covid crackdown Why 35 years in power isn't enough for this man The 'ghetto president' aiming for the real thing What is the latest? Polls were due to close at 16:00 local time (13:00 GMT) but will remain open until everyone in the queue at the time of closing has voted, the BBC's Patience Atuhaire reports from the capital, Kampala. Some polling stations did not open for close to two hours and voters in the queue had grown angry and had started shouting at the polling gate officials, our correspondent adds. She says the cause of the delay was not clear. Reuters news agency reports that at the six polling stations where their reporters observed delays the ballot papers had not arrived. Results are not expected before Saturday. What is the extent of the shutdown? As well as being unable to get online, there are reports that people are even having trouble sending text messages. Earlier in the week the authorities ordered the blocking of social media, messaging apps and certain sites for virtual private networks (VPNs) which people use to get around social media blocks. The Ugandan authorities appear to have ordered internet providers to shut down the whole internet at 19:00 local time (16:00 GMT) on the eve of the election, according to a letter shared by the freelance journalist Samira Sawlani . In the letter, which we have not verified, the Uganda Communications Commission orders internet providers to "implement a temporary suspension of the operation of all your internet gateways and associated access points". While it said the order was temporary, the letter did not state when the suspension should end. The internet access advocacy group Access Now has urged telecoms providers to challenge the order, saying they should be "enablers of human rights, not gatekeepers". How will results be transmitted without the internet? By Catherine Byaruhanga, BBC News, Kampala Coronavirus guidelines on social distancing and handwashing are proving hard to implement but here in Kibuli, which sits in the shadow of downtown Kampala, everyone queuing up is wearing facemasks. Ugandan voters: We want peace There are reports that a new biometric system to verify people's identities is not working in some areas. The electoral commission's spokesperson would not confirm whether this was because the internet has been cut off. There are questions about how results from around the country will be transmitted to the national tally centre in Kampala without the internet. The electoral commission told the BBC it has systems in place to do this but didn't explain further. What security measures have been put in place? Ugandan police promised they would deploy officers on rooftops of the capital Kampala on polling day, which they say comes after opposition activists commanded protests from rooftops in November, when more than 50 people were killed after Bobi Wine was arrested. Armed police have been patrolling the streets of Kampala Earlier this week, Mr Museveni gave a stark warning. "If you try to disturb peace, you will have yourself to blame. The security forces, following the law, are ready to deal with any troublemaker," he said in a televised speech wearing military fatigues. How bad was the violence during the campaign? Violence has been at an unprecedented level. Security forces cracked down on gatherings ahead of the election and dozens have been killed. The government says the ban on gatherings was to prevent the spread of coronavirus while the opposition say it was a smokescreen for repression. Bobi Wine and others out of the 10 opposition candidates have been arrested on several occasions. Will the vote be free and fair? It depends who you ask. The government has previously said the election would be free and fair. But the US cast doubt over the electoral process and withdrew its election observers after most of its accreditation requests were denied. In response, Mr Museveni's spokesman Don Wanyama tweeted that there were observers from the African Union and East African Community. "I don't remember when Uganda last sent election observers to the US," he added. Bobi Wine has called on voters to remain at polling stations on Thursday and use their mobile phone cameras to record the tallying process in an effort to prevent vote rigging. Who is Yoweri Museveni? Mr Museveni is standing for a sixth elected term in office, as leader of the National Resistance Movement (NRM). He came to power on the back of an armed uprising in 1986 and has long been depicted to Ugandans as a liberator and peace bringer. But he has managed to maintain his grip on power through a mixture of encouraging a personality cult, employing patronage, compromising independent institutions and sidelining opponents, says the BBC's Patience Atuhaire. Why 35 years in power isn't enough for this man Who is Bobi Wine? Bobi Wine is widely thought to be the strongest of the 10 opposition candidates in the presidential race. The 38-year-old reggae star is known by his supporters as the ghetto president. His party, the National Unity Platform (NUP) party campaigns for basic needs like improving access to healthcare, education, clean water and justice. Over the last two decades Bobi Wine's musical output has been filled with songs about these issues and they have inspired a fervent following. He grew up in Kampala's Kamwokya slum where he went on to build his now world-famous recording studio. The 'ghetto president' aiming for the real thing |