NRM supporter sues party over cancelled CEC nomination

POLITICS | ELECTIONS

National Resistance Movement (NRM) supporter has dragged the party to court for cancelling the election of representatives of special interest groups to become Central Executive Committee (CEC) members.

Moses Banakelekaki filed the suit in the Civil Division of the High Court in Kampala against NRM party and its Electoral Commission.    

Banakelekaki seeks a court order, quashing CEC resolution of cancelling the nomination and elections of representatives of special interest, including the youth league at CEC level.

Banakelekaki says he is slated to contest for the office of the National Chairperson of the youth league, which qualifies him as a member of CEC in the ongoing election process organised and coordinated by NRM Electoral Commission.

Court documents indicate that between May and July, the party through CEC passed a resolution to the effect that EC exclusively nominates and conducted elections of candidates only for a section of CEC membership, namely, the positions of NRM National chairman and vice national chairperson.

"In implementing the party's resolution, EC consequently issued elections roadmap, dated July, 2020 that only CEC candidates for the positions of NRM National chairman and vice national chairperson would be nominated and allowed to contest, leaving out candidates for CEC positions, including representatives of special interest groups," he asserts.

Banakelekaki explains that NRM Constitution under Article 13(2) is clear on the composition of CEC and includes the representatives of special interest groups.

The plaintiff contends that the resolution and decision by NRM EC to conduct elections only for a section of the CEC membership is not only unreasonable but also bias, selfish, malicious and discriminative in nature.

Banakelekaki says he has incurred many expenses in the electoral process basing on the political roadmap issued by NRM in January 2019 for the last one year while traversing the whole country meeting delegates (voters), seeking for support.

"I have no alternative remedy other than challenging the NRM EC election road map and their resolution to refuse to nominate me as a candidate for the representative of the youth league at CEC, a position for which I only have to participate due to age limitations of 30 years and below, "he states.

He wants court to issue a directive to NRM EC to nominate him as candidate for CEC representing the youth league.