EC petitioned over Museveni candidature

Nov 19, 2020

2021 ELECTIONS |

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) flag-bearer for the Rubaga South parliamentary seat, Habib Buwembo, has petitioned the Electoral Commission (EC), seeking to peruse through President Yoweri Museveni's nomination file.

Buwembo seeks to establish whether the National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential flag-bearer's credentials that include academic papers, payment of nomination fees, and whether he is a registered voter since he added another name (Tibuhaburwa) after the voters' register had already been compiled.

The petition was handed over to EC senior legal officer Patrick Wetaka after he guided them through the process of filing a petition. The petition was stamped ‘received', recognising its acceptance.

 "As a registered voter, vide, CM82101106615C and in the exercise of my civic duty under the Presidential Elections Act 2005, I request to inspect the presidential nomination papers presented by Mr Tibuhaburwa Yoweri Kaguta Museveni," Buwembo stated in a petition addressed to EC chairperson Simon Byabakama.

"The above will aid me lodge a complaint of fraud and forgery against Mr Tibuhaburwa and fortify the truth about his systematic forgery of academic papers, falsifying his age and other complaints that touch his integrity and moral turpitude," the petition, dated November 17, 2020, added.

Wetaka told the petitioners that his role was to receive the petition on behalf of the commission, urging them to exercise patience, until the EC chairperson and other commissioners consider the request. NRM director for communication Emmanuel Dombo said it was the right of any Ugandan to petition EC and that it was the duty of the electoral body to give a response according to the available information.

He said candidate Museveni satisfied all the necessary nomination requirements.

"So, do the petitioners doubt the commission which declared Museveni a duly nominated candidate, having satisfied all the necessary requirements and now petition EC, which made such a declaration?"

Lawyer Nkunyingi Muwada was the first to write to EC, seeking Museveni's academic credentials used for the 2016 presidential nominations. His request, was, however, declined.

The commission argued: "Academic documents for candidate Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as presented in 2016 did not require verification since they are governed under section 4 (15) of the Presidential Elections Act (as amended).

The section states: "For the avoidance of doubt, if a candidate has an Advanced Level certificate obtained in Uganda or qualifications higher than the prescribed qualification obtained in Uganda or obtained from the former University of East Africa or any of its constituent colleges, then, there shall be no need for the verification of his or her qualifications by the National Council for Higher Education."

According to the deed poll document dated October 6, Museveni said he was born in September 1944 and named Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta.

"Since the completion of my education, the names Yoweri Museveni, Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, and Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni have been used interchangeably in reference to me," Museveni stated in the sworn document.

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