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Roundup: Election violence breaks out in Ugandan capital as vote counting continues

Xinhua, February 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

Vote counting in Uganda's Feb. 18 general election entered day two as violence broke out in parts of the capital Kampala.

Preliminary results released by the country's Electoral Commission put incumbent President Yoweri Museveni in the lead with 62.8 percent followed by his closest rival Kizza Besigye who garnered 32.7 percent. So far 29.6 percent of the total votes have been tallied.

Earlier in the day Besigye and other officials of the opposition party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) were briefly detained by police at the party headquarters in the capital.

Fred Enanga, police spokesman told Xinhua that the FDC office was barricaded because the party was planning to announce election results.

In a commando style, the police used a helicopter to teargas and drop officers into the office compound which could not be accessed from outside since the gates where locked from inside.

The leaders were whisked away in different vehicles and taken to their respective homes in the capital and surrounding areas.

The scuffle attracted a crowd of Besigye supporters who were later dispersed by the police.

The main road to the country's Entebbe International Airport was blocked as the police engaged Besigye supporters in running battles.

Reports from the Uganda Red Cross show that several people were injured, some had deep wounds.

"There is need for everybody to wait for the declaration of the official results by the Electoral Commission. How authentic will be the results he wants to declare? That is illegal, we cannot allow individuals to incite the public," Enanga said.

Badru Kiggundu, Electoral Commission chairperson told reporters at the National Tally Center here, 10 km east of Kampala that it is only the Commission that is legally mandated to declare the results.

According to Police, Besigye is trying to incite the public to cause chaos.

There was also reported violence in the city center until military police was deployed to quell the situation.

Deputy Police Spokesman Polly Namaye told Xinhua in an interview that police will not reduce on the deployment until May when a new president will be sworn in.

This is the second time Besigye is being arrested in 24 hours. On Thursday, he was arrested by police as he attempted to enter a police installation following allegations that there was stuffing of ballot boxes.

Enanga told Xinhua that Besigye was held and taken back to his home.

Ugly scenes played out on Wednesday, a day before the elections. Police blocked Besigye from leading a procession through the city center. Police argued that the procession would disrupt business in the central business district.

At the end of the running battles between the police and the opposition supporters, one person had died and several others had been injured. Police figures show that 19 people had been injured and 22 suspects had been arrested.

After casting his vote on Thursday, Museveni warned that all those intending to cause chaos would be arrested. Endit