RWAKITURA, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni said Sunday that the opposition only survived the recent presidential election because millions of ruling party supporters failed to vote, claiming that a full mobilization of his followers would eliminate any political challenge.
Speaking at his country residence in Rwakitura a day after the Electoral Commission declared him the winner, Museveni said nearly 10 million members of the National Resistance Movement did not participate in the Jan. 15 election. The party claims more than 21 million members nationwide, with at least 18 million eligible voters.
Museveni secured a seventh five-year term with 7.9 million votes, or 71.65 percent of the ballots cast. His primary challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, received 2.7 million votes, representing 24.72 percent.
The Electoral Commission reported voter turnout at 52.5 percent of the 21.6 million registered voters.
The president suggested that many of the approximately 300,000 invalid ballots belonged to NRM supporters and announced the party would investigate why millions of its members stayed home. He attributed his victory to a return to the party’s founding principles of peace, national unity and economic recovery.
Museveni compared the current political climate to the 1996 elections, noting that voters then favored the NRM because it had established a disciplined military and ended extrajudicial killings. He said a similar trend is emerging in northern and eastern Uganda where peace remains a primary concern.
During his address, Museveni used Libya as a cautionary example of instability. He claimed he met secretly with some opposition figures on Jan. 13 who expressed fear that the country could descend into chaos.
Kyagulanyi has rejected the election results, which were recorded amid a nationwide internet blackout and reports of biometric verification failures. The opposition leader said Saturday that he had evacuated his residence due to increased security presence. His current location was unknown as of Sunday evening.
In earlier remarks, Kyagulanyi dismissed the president’s allegations of opposition-led destabilization, stating that Museveni is being fed false intelligence.
Museveni, who first took power in 1986 following a five-year guerrilla war, is scheduled to be sworn in this May.
