Dismiss Petition With Costs – Kabatsi
Apr 12, 2001
THE Solicitor General, Mr Peter Kabatsi, has urged the Supreme Court to dismiss Col. Dr Kizza Besigye's election petition with costs.
By Vision Reporters
THE Solicitor General, Mr Peter Kabatsi, has urged the Supreme Court to dismiss Col. Dr Kizza Besigye's election petition with costs.
Kabatsi, representing the second respondent, the Electoral Commission, described some of the evidence adduced by the petitioner as "useless".
He said international election observers from the OAU, Tanzania and Gambia confirmed that the elections were free and fair.
Kabatsi also read to the Court contents of an affidavit sworn by a Media Plus journalist, Bob Mutebi, who interviewed Besigye in Rukungiri on the polling day.
Kabatsi said Besigye did not, in the interview, complain that elections were not free and fair.
Kabatsi said the evidence given by a data analyst, Frank Mukunzi, who was commissioned by Besigye to support his petition was "not helpful."
He said if anything, Mukunzi's evidence only reinforced the position of the Electoral Commission.
He said Mukunzi, whose qualifications are in engineering, lacked any qualification and experience in data analysis.
Mukunzi, who was commissioned by Besigye to carry out a data analysis, contended that the register was inflated with over two million ghost voters.
"He was not qualified to do what he was commissioned to do. He cannot be taken by any court, least of the Supreme Court of Uganda, as an expert to be relied on," said Kabatsi who repeatedly referred to the witness as "poor Mukunzi."
He said Mukunzi was not conclusive on any matter in his conclusions and recommendations and was unable to determine how the alleged election flaws affected each candidate.
Kabatsi also referred to evidence by Mubarak Kirunda who alleged that children (underage) voted in Mayuge district.
Kabatsi said Kirunda's evidence was 'useless' to the Court because he did not prove that children voted.
He added that the Mayuge Returning Officer, Mr. Balaba, did not know of an election monitor in Mayuge called Kirunda.
Ends