Mao tries to block Museveni win
THE Democratic Party presidential candidate, Norbert Mao, on Tuesday attempted to petition the Supreme Court to block President Yoweri Museveni’s victory.
BY ANNE MUGISA
THE Democratic Party presidential candidate, Norbert Mao, on Tuesday attempted to petition the Supreme Court to block President Yoweri Museveni’s victory.
However, Mao failed to file the petition because it was incomplete, according to the Judiciary spokesperson, Eriasi Kisawuzi. By press time, Mao’s lawyers had not attempted to re-file the affidavit.
The petition comes after the 10-day deadline set by the Constitution for filing presidential elections petitions, which expired on Wednesday.
The February 18 polls were won by incumbent President Yoweri Museveni with over 5,428,369 votes which was 68.38% of the votes cast. His closest challenger, Col. Kizza Besigye got 2,064,963 or 26.01% of the votes cast, while Mao came third with 147,917 or 1.86% of the votes.
The election including the campaign process was endorsed by both regional and international observers as free and fair, although they pointed out that there were a few shortcomings that needed to be addressed.
Mao is the only former presidential candidate who has tried to petition the Court over Museveni’s victory so far.
Article 104 of the 1995 Constitution stipulates that any aggrieved candidate may petition the Supreme Court to challenge the election of a candidate declared by the Electoral Commission as president.
“A petition under Clause 1 of this article shall be lodged in the Supreme Court within 10 days after the declaration of the election results.      Â
“The Supreme Court shall inquire into and determine the petition expeditiously and shall declare its findings not later than 30 days from the date the petition is filed. Â
“Where no petition is filed within the time prescribed under Clause 2 of this article or where a petition having been filed is dismissed by the Supreme Court, the candidate declared elected shall conclusively be taken to have been duly elected as President,†says Clause 4 of the article.
Asked whether the petition filed outside the time stipulated by the Constitution would be entertained, Kisawuzi said that the judges would decide that.       Â
Mao could not be got for comment yesterday as his phone numbers were not available. The DP spokesperson, Kenneth Kakande, could also not be got for comment because his phone was also off.
THE Democratic Party presidential candidate, Norbert Mao, on Tuesday attempted to petition the Supreme Court to block President Yoweri Museveni’s victory.
However, Mao failed to file the petition because it was incomplete, according to the Judiciary spokesperson, Eriasi Kisawuzi. By press time, Mao’s lawyers had not attempted to re-file the affidavit.
The petition comes after the 10-day deadline set by the Constitution for filing presidential elections petitions, which expired on Wednesday.
The February 18 polls were won by incumbent President Yoweri Museveni with over 5,428,369 votes which was 68.38% of the votes cast. His closest challenger, Col. Kizza Besigye got 2,064,963 or 26.01% of the votes cast, while Mao came third with 147,917 or 1.86% of the votes.
The election including the campaign process was endorsed by both regional and international observers as free and fair, although they pointed out that there were a few shortcomings that needed to be addressed.
Mao is the only former presidential candidate who has tried to petition the Court over Museveni’s victory so far.
Article 104 of the 1995 Constitution stipulates that any aggrieved candidate may petition the Supreme Court to challenge the election of a candidate declared by the Electoral Commission as president.
“A petition under Clause 1 of this article shall be lodged in the Supreme Court within 10 days after the declaration of the election results.      Â
“The Supreme Court shall inquire into and determine the petition expeditiously and shall declare its findings not later than 30 days from the date the petition is filed. Â
“Where no petition is filed within the time prescribed under Clause 2 of this article or where a petition having been filed is dismissed by the Supreme Court, the candidate declared elected shall conclusively be taken to have been duly elected as President,†says Clause 4 of the article.
Asked whether the petition filed outside the time stipulated by the Constitution would be entertained, Kisawuzi said that the judges would decide that.       Â
Mao could not be got for comment yesterday as his phone numbers were not available. The DP spokesperson, Kenneth Kakande, could also not be got for comment because his phone was also off.