20 lawyers lined up to hear NRM election disputes

The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) has appointed a tribunal of 20 advocates to hear and dispose of 645 election petitions arising from the party primary elections.

According to Justine Kasule Lumumba, the NRM secretary general, CEC, chaired by President Yoweri Museveni on Friday last week, resolved that lawyer Enoch Barata heads the tribunal to hear the disputes.

"The resolutions of CEC expressed satisfaction in the NRM primaries, there was relative calm and serious concerns over cases, but CEC resolved to constitute a tribunal of 20 advocates under the leadership of Counsel Enoch Barata," Lumumba said.

Without revealing details about the other lawyers, Lumumba said the lawyers have been tasked with disposing of election disputes and delivering fair judgment in the shortest time possible.

He also described the lawyers as independent and people of integrity, whose decision will be respected by the party leadership.

"What we want is justice, who delivers justice is not the issue, what we want is fair hearing and justice delivered," Lumumba said.

In his remarks, Barata said the selection of the lawyers to hear the election disputes was entirely based on expertise and integrity. Barata assured the petitioners of a balanced and fair process for justice.

According to Barata, there are 645 petitions lined up for hearing, including 455 for Members of Parliament and 190 for candidates at local government level.

He noted that the hearing process, which starts off today, will take about two weeks, to allow the affected party members take part in the nominations exercise for the general election.

"We will start with local government petitioners because their nomination comes first.

This will be done starting today to Friday. We will then follow with petitions arising from party primaries for MPs," Barata said.

Endorsement

According to Lumumba, to beat the nomination deadline for party flag-bearers by the national Electoral Commission, she has delegated senior party leaders to help her with endorsement of candidates.

Lumumba noted that no NRM candidate will be nominated by the Electoral Commission (EC) without a formal letter of endorsement from the party.

"The EC is not going to nominate anybody if they do not have a signature and stamp from the persons who have been delegated by the secretary general," Lumumba said.

She noted all NRM LC5 district flag-bearers and district councillors will be endorsed by the NRM district chairpersons, while those at the sub-county level will be endorsed by NRM sub-county chairpersons.

The NRM parliamentary flag- bearers will be endorsed by both the deputy secretary general Richard Todwong and NRM treasurer Rose Namayanja.

"To all the parliamentary flagbears whose victory has not been challenged, please come for endorsement from deputy secretary general. MPs, who are our flag-bears in Kampala metropolitan area, such as Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono will be endorsed by Rose Namayanja," Lumumba noted.

She, however, advised those with election petitions to wait, until that time when the tribunal is done with its investigations for a report to CEC before they can be nominated.

For the last three weeks, the NRM electoral commission offices have been busy, with members fi ling their petitions.

Age limit

At the same briefing, Lumumba also said the party was pushing for amendment of the Constitution to allow Ugandans below 35 years to contest for political office, at the municipality, city division town and municipal division level. Following the amendment of the Constitution in 2017, Parliament removed the lower and upper age cap for candidates for president and district/city chairperson positions, but did not do the same for urban elective positions.

"It was inadvertently omitted, but after learning about it, I brought it to the attention of the Prime Minister and the Attorney General. They are drafting what will be presented to Cabinet tomorrow, so that a solution is found," Lumumba said.

In the same vein, the party wants the Constitution amended to allow one female district councillor to represent one sub-county as opposed to having one representing more than two sub-counties as it is in the Constitution," she said.