Uganda: A person is shot dead by police during the conduct of an opposition candidate in the Ugandan Parliament

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Madrid, 13 years old (Europe Press)

At least one person was killed and three others injured late Tuesday after Ugandan security forces opened fire on supporters of an opposition candidate in Thursday’s parliamentary elections to be held in conjunction with the presidential election.

According to information collected by the Ugandan “Daily Monitor” newspaper this Wednesday, Ugandan forces opened fire to disperse followers of Hasan Kapis Fengaro, candidate for the Forum for Democratic Change in Obongi district, without announcing the authorities. He. She.

An eyewitness recounted that Vongaru’s followers were returning to the area where the party’s headquarters was located when the police and army shot them and fired tear gas to prevent them from reaching the building.

Vungaru himself denounced that what happened showed that this year’s elections “were shot, not ballot.” “It was difficult for the opposition candidates from Ubungi and other parts of the country. Wherever we went, they fired tear gas at us and shot at us,” he said.

The elections will take place in a particularly tense context due to the increasing repression against the opposition and the killing of more than 50 people in November due to the action of the security forces against the demonstrators after the arrest of the main opposition candidate, Robert Kyagolani, during the campaign event.

Kyagulani will be the main contender for incumbent President Yoweri Museveni who has led the country since 1986 and who will try to achieve a sixth term after a series of constitutional amendments so that he can go to the polls.

On the other hand, the US ambassador to Uganda, Natalie Brown, announced the cancellation of the observation mission in the country “due to the election commission’s decision to reject more than 75 percent of the required observers’ accreditation.”

“After approving only 15 accreditations, it is not possible for the United States to significantly monitor the conduct of Ugandan elections at polling stations across the country,” he said in a statement posted on the embassy’s website.

Thus, he criticized that the commission “did not provide explanations” despite “multiple requests,” and added that it had transmitted its decision “a few days before the elections.” He stressed that “the aim of diplomatic observation of the elections is to show our interest in a free, fair, peaceful and comprehensive electoral process.”

“The government of Uganda had supported the monitoring efforts of the United States in several previous elections, so the decision to refuse to grant mandates to the majority (…) makes this matter worrying,” he defended, before confirming that without observers you would lack accountability, transparency and confidence.

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