Seeking to extend his rule to 40 years, Uganda’s long-serving President Yoweri
Museveni has collected papers to seek nomination as the ruling party’s candidate
in next year’s presidential election, the party said on Tuesday.
Securing a new term would potentially extend the 75-year-old former rebel
fighter’s rule to four decades.
“Yes, we can confirm he has picked nomination forms for our flag bearer
position,” Rogers Mulindwa, spokesman for the ruling National Resistance
Movement (NRM), told Reuters.
Mulindwa added that no-one else had yet shown up to contest him within the
party.
However, no date has yet been fixed for the 2021 vote, it is typically held in
February.
The strongest opposition presidential aspirant is pop star and lawmaker Bobi
Wine, 38, whose music endears him to the young.
Critics complain Museveni has been using anti-coronavirus measures like bans
on public gatherings to secure an advantage and stymie preparations by
opponents.
Uganda has been relatively sheltered from the pandemic so far, with just 1,065
cases reported and no deaths.
In power since 1986, Museveni’s tenure is only surpassed in Africa by Equatorial
Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang, who has ruled since 1979 and Cameroon’s Paul Biya,
who has ruled since 1982.
However, over the years, he was increasingly criticised for refusing to relinquish
power, failing to end corruption and autocratic leadership.
In past elections, the ruling party has ring-fenced the candidacy for Museveni,
disqualifying some potential rivals.
Rights groups have long accused him of deploying security forces to intimidate
opponents while using public finances to reward loyalists and expand his
support.
Police have this month dispersed two opposition gatherings while critics say,
allowing government politicians including the health minister to hold open
meetings.
“Coronavirus measures have become a tool for Museveni to control and destroy
opposition to his rule,” said opposition lawmaker Semujju Ibrahim Nganda.
“Ruling party spokesman Mulindwa denied any double standards, while the
opposition says that to win sympathy,” he said.
Museveni has won five presidential elections and in 2017 Uganda’s parliament,
dominated by NRM lawmakers, removed an age cap from the constitution,
allowing him to seek another term.
That parliament vote was marred by fistfights in the chamber and at one point
elite force soldiers entered and removed opposition lawmakers.
