Four time FDC Presidential Candidate Col (Rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye described the 2021 general election as the most violent and repressive he ever witnessed.
The election, Besigye said, Tuesday was much fiercer that all the four he was involved in as a candidate.
“I have been presidential candidate four times and of course, looking at this election, there have been some déjà vu moments; but generally I haven’t seen this form of violence in previous elections,” Besigye said.
The 64-year-old was speaking this morning at a joint presidential candidates press conference held two days to the presidential and parliamentary elections. Candidates Robert Kyagulanyi, Gen Mugisha Muntu and Patrick Oboi held the meeting to express concerns about voting rules and violence, ahead of Thursday’s elections.
Read: Opposition Candidates Pressure EC on New Voting Rules; Set to Meet Byabakama
“It seems that the violence and terror is getting scaled up every election and that the lower the support of the regime the more repressive they become,” Besigye retorted.
He added, “It is only in this election that we saw a presidential candidate campaigning while wearing a bullet proof jacket. I think in the next election if Mr Museveni seeks another term, candidates will need to campaign in armored trucks.”
Besigye was speaking in light of the dozens of people who were killed during the November 18th riots in Kampala which followed the arrest of NUP candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, as well as the multiple arrests and detentions of presidential candidates and their team members by security forces.
According to Besigye, the heightened use of force by security cannot be linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, as has often been claimed.
“This was not about Covid; the regime is not really worried about Covid, because when you see how people are gathered in down town uninterrupted and unregulated; you know that this is not about Covid”
Besigye proceeded to congratulate the opposition candidates upon successfully concluding their presidential campaigns.
He further called on Ugandans on Thursday to show up in large numbers and cast their ballot and to guard it to the end.
“Ugandans should know that Museveni must win with 50% plus 1 votes. It doesn’t matter who you vote for provided you guard the vote.”
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