This archive report was first published on 10 January 2020.
Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has agreed to work with local authorities as his bid for Uganda's top job heats up, following a meeting with police leadership and the Electoral Commission in Kampala on January 9, 2020.
Speaking after the meeting, Bobi Wine stated that he is open to consultations, saying, "We know that the EC is the institution responsible for overseeing and organizing elections. We had planned to see them but they also invited us to have a conversation."
He added that his team would reschedule their consultations with the Electoral Commission and the police, saying, "We shall write to the Electoral Commission and also write to the police."
According to the Daily Monitor, Bobi Wine reiterated his position that it was within his right to work without any restrictions and called on the police to work within the law.
"This time we want the police to observe the law and not to behave illegally. The EC promised to follow the matter very closely because that's their responsibility. We are going back to rescheduling board and I can guarantee that they [consultations] will all happen," he added.
However, People Power movement spokesman Joel Ssenyonyi noted that while they are open to engagement with set parties, they will ignore orders they deem illegal.
"We don't expect what has been happening to ensue again because we have told the EC that whatever the police have been doing is illegal. But if it happens again, we are not going to obey any directive we think is illegal," Ssenyonyi said.
The pop star turned politician was arrested on January 6, 2020, while attempting to access a venue where a public participation exercise was to take place in the outskirts of Kampala, and released on January 7, 2020 unconditionally.
