Supreme Court Judges

The nine Supreme Court judges have unanimously accepted the 5 amendments to candidate Amama Mbabazi’s petition challenging President Museveni’s re-election. The ruling read by Chief Justice Bart Katureebe comes after the Deputy Attorney General Mwesigwa Rukutana and lawyers representing Yoweri Museveni, objected to the amendments presented earlier by Amama Mbabazi’s legal team.

Mbabazi lodged the initial petition last week seeking to nullify the election of President Museveni on grounds that the Electoral Commission did not comply with the electoral laws and that there was outright voter rigging.

Today, at the pre-hearing conference for the trial, his team introduced 15 new grounds to the original submission in Presidential election petition with fresh evidence to challenge the victory. The grounds presented in the amended petition include proof of voter bribery, use of public servants in political activities, interference with opposition activities and misuse of government resources.

Justice Katureebe warned the media not to discuss the court issues on their platform, as the hearing of the petition starts on Monday 14th March 2016. Meanwhile court adjourns to Thursday 10th this week for another pre-hearing conference.

The post Judges unanimously accept the 5 amendments to Mbabazi’s petition first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Ken Lukyamuzi

As Majority of the longest serving ministers and members of parliament lost in the just concluded parliamentary elections, those who survived speak out on how they made it. One of the ministers who has been in parliament for more than two terms Ruth Nankabirwa says although  the election process was too tough,  including her being  challenged  for over stay, she explains that her success was  a result of  using her office to fullfil the pledge made by Government. Nankabirwa also says that she explained to the constituents that the president they support had served longer than her.

Those long serving ministers and MPs who lost include  Lubaga South MP John Ken Lukyamuzi, Minister of defense  Crispus Kiyonga, Geoffrey Ekanya  Tororo  county, Rujumbura County MP also Information minister Jim Muhwezi,  Ruhinda County MP also Justice  and constitutional affairs  minister, Kahinda Otafire, Rubanda west MP also Minister of State for Investment Henry Banyenzaki, former  vice president Gilbert Bukenya and Veteran politician and First Deputy Prime Minister Henry Muganwa Kajura who has been in cabinet since 1989.

Some longest serving Ministers and MPs who survived and will be serving their fourth term are Minister of disaster preparedness and Refugees Hirary Onek, Ruth Nankabirwa, Vice president Edward Sekandi, Elijah Okupa, Cecilia Ogwal and Speaker Kadaga; these two have been in parliament since the Constituency assembly.

The post Longest serving parliamentarians – winners and losers first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

European Union is concerned over the high level of commercialization of politics in election campaigns as the country is heading for elections in 2016. The concern was raised by the head of the European Union, Ambassador Kristian Schmidt, while meeting the deputy speaker of parliament Jacob Oulanyah as the EU delegation is in the country to assess whether to deploy fully-fledged observation Mission for the 2016 general elections.

Ambassador Kristian said that he has talked to many members of parliament but their concern is the increasing commercialization of politics and facilitation for elections. He asked whether this new scope of commercialization of politics will have a solution; He also questioned whether government has a code of conduct on how much someone can spend in politics.

The deputy speaker Jacob Oulanyah agreed with the European Union delegation concern, noting that commercialization of politics in the country is worse. He said that some people in politics sale their houses, borrow money from banks and when they lose elections they live in bad shape financially. He said there are situation of people who do not spend a coin, those who spend little and those who spend much money in elections , adding that there is a  greatest failure of regulating electoral financing.

He however said that there are some people who do not print posters and no money used but they win elations more than once. He said that will be glad if the European Union send in Uganda the observer mission for 2016 general elections as the country desire for free and fair election.

The post European Union concerned over commercialization in elections first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.