Press Statement
*Museveni and Obama |
The United
States commends the Ugandan people for
participating actively and peacefully in the February 18 elections. While the
vote occurred without major unrest, we must acknowledge numerous reports of
irregularities and official conduct that are deeply inconsistent with
international standards and expectations for any democratic process.
Delays in the delivery of voting materials, reports of
pre-checked ballots and vote buying, ongoing blockage of social media sites,
and excessive use of force by the police, collectively undermine the integrity
of the electoral process. The Ugandan people deserved better. We are also
concerned by the continued house arrest of opposition presidential candidate
Kizza Besigye. We call for his immediate release and the restoration of access
to all social media sites.
We encourage those who wish to contest the election
results to do so peacefully and in accordance with Uganda ’s laws and judicial process,
and urge the Ugandan government to respect the rights and freedoms of its
people and refrain from interference in those processes.
Mark
C. Toner
February 20, 2016