MP Sanjay petitions court over vote recount

Feb 27, 2016

“I want to lose well knowing that the whole process was transparent enough and everybody to be happy."


Tororo Municipality MP Sanjay Tanna has petitioned court demanding a vote recount in the just concluded elections that saw his opponent Yeri Apollo Ofwono edge him.

Ofwono was eventually declared winner by the district returning officer Fredrick Tibakuno Muwaya with 7,149 votes. Sanjay got 7,045.

But the defeated incumbent cow wants court to examine, scrutinize and evaluate the votes in the ballot boxes. His lawyer is Yusuf Mutembule.

Sanjay questions the transparency in the vote counting process, after his polling agents were reportedly beaten and chased away. He says most his votes were counted as invalid which totaled to 513 votes.

According to the declared results, Sanjay lost by 104 votes.

"I want to lose well knowing that the whole process was transparent enough and everybody to be happy," he said in his petition.

Court has until Monday to declare a recount of any votes for the presidential and parliamentary elections.

The Tororo chief Magistrate Esther Nakadama deferred the matter up to noon on Saturday (today) to start hearing the application before making her ruling.

 

Accompanied by the NRM electoral commission chairman Tanga Odoi and his lawyers, Ofwono was prompt in court to defend the petition. Sanjay was represented by only his lawyer.

Supporters of both parties thronged court as tension mounted on the likely outcome of the matter. The matter has become the talk of the town as locals are now organized in small groups discussing the fate of the case.

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