Court okays CP delegates conference

Aug 20, 2012

The High Court in Kampala has endorsed the delegates’ conference of the Conservative Party (CP) scheduled for Sunday August 19, saying it could help heal the deep rift which has divided the party.

By Andante Okanya 

The High Court in Kampala has endorsed the delegates’ conference of the Conservative Party (CP) scheduled for Sunday August 19, saying it could help heal the deep rift which has divided the party.
On Friday, the court's civil division registrar Eudes Keitirima gave the go-ahead, after hearing a petition filed by the rival faction opposed to the delegates conference organised by party president general Ken Lukyamuzi.
It will be held at Lweza Training and Conference Centre. About 200 delegates from across the country are expected to attend.
Keitirima made his ruling late in the evening after hearing submissions from the Lukyamuzi mainstream lawyer Jackson Kafuuzi, and the rival Daniel Walyemera faction lawyer Anthony Wameli.
"At this stage, court is not able to judge who is right or wrong. To stop the conference at this stage would further deepen the division within the party. The conference should therefore go ahead,"Keitirima said.
He stated that in the event that the conference fails to resolve the contentious issues, the parties would return to court.
The petition was filed by Walyemera and four others Ali Mubiru,Fredrick Guweddeko,Wasibi Magira, and Fredrick Lubowa, on grounds that there are pending court cases whose verdict is crucial to the party's future.
Their move was prompted by an advert placed in the weekly newspaper Sunrise dated August 3-9,2012, informing party members of the delegates conference. It stated that attendance is strictly by invite, and that the venue would be disclosed in the invitation letters.
They asserted that the contents of the advert depict a sinister ploy by the Lukyamuzi faction to lock out dissenting voices.
Kafuuzi refuted claims that the anti-Lukyamuzi camp had been barred from attending the conference. He said all had been invited.
There are two pending court cases at the court, with one set to resume on Tuesday in court presided by Justice Vincent Zehurikize. In this case, the Lukyamuzi camp filed a petition blocking any attempts by the Walyemera camp from organising any activities.
The other case is with Justice Benjamin Kabiito, and was filed against Lukyamuzi by the Walyemera camp.
From the onset, Justice Zehurikize has pushed the parties to reconcile, noting that under the current multi-party political dispensation, it is important tolerate divergent views.

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