Ugandans vote in a "blood stained" election

KAMPALA, Uganda

Ugandans vote on Thursday in a presidential election pitting long-time leader Yoweri Museveni against 10 candidates, including opposition front-runner Bobi Wine, a singer-turned-lawmaker whose star power has rattled the ruling party.

Scores of opposition protesters have been killed during a campaign scarred by crackdowns on Wine's rallies, which the authorities say contravene curbs on gatherings to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Military personnel have been deployed across the capital, Kampala, to reinforce the police with columns of soldiers patrolling suburbs amid fears the presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 14 could descend into violence.

The United States has cancelled its observation of Uganda's presidential election because most of its accreditation requests were denied, and said Thursday's vote would lack accountability and transparency.

The announcement adds to a growing chorus of concern over the credibility of the election. While previous elections have been marred by crackdowns on the opposition, campaigning this time has been particularly violent. 

Scores of people have been killed and opposition candidates, supporters and campaign staff have been repeatedly arrested and intimidated.

The European Union said on Tuesday that the electoral process had been seriously tarnished by the excessive use of force and its offer to deploy a small team of electoral experts was not taken up.

A coalition representing hundreds of Ugandan civil society organizations said on Wednesday that it had filed 1,900 accreditation requests but only 10 had been granted.

In a television address on Tuesday evening, the 76-year-old Museveni, who took power in 1986, said he had met with the security forces and they were ready to defend any Ugandans worried about coming out to vote because of intimidation by the opposition.

"There is no threat we cannot defeat," said Museveni, wearing a military camouflage jacket. "We have got all sorts of means, simple and complex."

Museveni also apologized for the inconvenience caused by a ban on social media and messaging apps, but he said Uganda had no choice after Facebook took down some accounts that backed his ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.

"If you want to take sides against the NRM, then that group should not operate in Uganda," he said. "We cannot tolerate this arrogance of anybody coming to decide for us who is good and who is bad."

This week Elijah Mukiibi, a driver for Bobi Wine, was killed in unclear circumstances.

At 38, Wine is half Museveni's age and the singer known for catchy protest songs has attracted a large following among younger people in the East African country, where 80 per cent of the population are under 30 and two-thirds unemployed.

Since campaigning began in November, security forces have repeatedly broken up Wine's rallies with tear gas, rubber bullets, beatings and detentions. Wine has been arrested multiple times and now campaigns in a helmet and flak jacket. 

In one incident in November, 54 people were killed as soldiers and police quelled protests after Wine was detained.

"The terror, frankly, is unprecedented," said Kizza Besigye, a veteran opposition leader who challenged Museveni in four elections. "Violence, terror seem to be scaled up with every coming election. This election has witnessed untold violence. It gets worse and worse by the day."

When Museveni seized power in 1986 after a five-year guerrilla war, he was welcomed by Ugandans worn down by the murderous regimes of Milton Obote and Idi Amin.