Ngime ‘Tried To Hijack Elections’

Feb 12, 2002

NGOMA Ngime tried to hijack the electoral process during his parliamentary campaigns in Mbarara Municipality, court has heard.

By Solomon MuyitaNGOMA Ngime tried to hijack the electoral process during his parliamentary campaigns in Mbarara Municipality, court has heard.Ngaruye Ruhindi, representing Mbarara Municipality MP Winnie Byanyima told the High Court in Kampala yesterday that Ngime invited senior military officers to disrupt the elections.He said Ngime, the former Mbarara Resident District Commissioner, admitted so during the petition hearing.“He (Ngime) wanted to take over the electoral process in an attempt to rig the elections, but the Electoral Commission ably contained him.“The elections were marred with a number of odds but still my client managed to win. If he didn’t bring the military..., it would have been a landslide victory.”Ngaruye was responding to Ngime’s lawyer, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, who addressed court on Monday in the ongoing final submissions before Justice Vincent Kagaba.Ngime petitioned the results of the Mbarara Municipality elections in September 2001.Respondents are Byanyima, the Electoral Commission (EC), the Mbarara returning officer and CAO, Hezzy Kafureka and the district registrar, Aspol Kwesiga.Ngaruye said the petition grounds cannot cause court to annul an election and therefore asked court to dismiss it with higher costs.“In view of the complexity of this case, the costs of this petition should be taxed on a higher scale than the ordinary.EC lawyer Oryem Okello said the over 2,000 alleged voters whom Ngime claimed were disenfranchised, could neither identify themselves to the electoral officials nor were they known by the area LCs.Ends

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