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People in Uganda have started casting ballots in presidential and parliamentary elections, amid the fear of political violence.
Polling stations opened at 07:00AM. local time (0400 GMT) yesterday and close at 04:00PM. local time (1300 GMT), with over 15 million people eligible to vote in over 28,000 polling stations for both a president and members of the parliament.
In the presidential election, long-term incumbent Yoweri Museveni competes with seven opponents — the most serious rival being Kizza Besigye.
While the latest opinion polls indicate a better chance for Museveni, the 71-year-old incumbent faces a strong challenge from Besigye, who has lost three times and says he does not believe the election will be free or fair.
According to Reuters, on the eve of the vote, Besigye said that Museveni was “not going to go [into office] peacefully” and said his supporters may stage street protests to dispute an unfavorable election outcome.
Meanwhile, Museveni has warned opponents to expect a tough response from security services if violence erupts.
“Whoever will try to bring violence, you will see what we shall do to him. Those who want violence should play somewhere else, not Uganda,” Museveni told thousands of supporters in his final rally on Tuesday.
Museveni, who came to power in 1986 after waging a five-year guerrilla war, is hailed by many Ugandans as providing decades of relative peace and economic stability.
The initial results of the elections are expected as early tomorrow afternoon. In order to win outright, a candidate should get more than 50 percent of the votes; if no one secures that many votes, a run-off will be warranted.
Ugandan elections in 2006 and 2011 were marred by violence over the results, sparking widespread protests in the East African country, particularly in the capital, Kampala. — PressTV.
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