KAMPALA , Uganda, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Police arrested Ugandan presidential candidate Kizza Besigye on Friday one day after the country's presidential election in which incumbent Yoweri Museveni held the lead.
Besigye's campaign headquarters was raided because he allegedly planned to announce his own results to Thursday's election and make allegations about voting fraud. He and several other leaders of his party, the Forum for Democratic Change, were led away before police fired tear gas into the party headquarters in Kampala.
With about half of polling stations in the East African country counted, Museveni leads with 62 percent of the vote, while Besiege has 33 percent. Museveni is attempted to be re-elected as president after 30 years in power.
Besigye is considered Museveni's main rival and was detained by police twice during the week before the election.
After Besigye was detained, Museveni said the arrest was ordered for security reasons and to prevent the telling of lies about the election. Besigye, upon his release, called Uganda's electoral process "unfree and unfair."
Former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, also running for the presidency, left his home with a police escort Friday after releasing a statement saying police were arresting people outside his home.
Voting is still taking place in several districts across Uganda in which polls did not open Thursday. Official results were expected Saturday.
Thursday's vote was marked by delays, the late arrival of election machinery and ballots, and long lines at the polls.
