Africa-Press – Uganda. Paul Mwiru has this time failed to eject his longtime rival Nathan Igeme Babeta from Parliament in a bid to represent the people of Jinja East.
While dismissing Mwiru’s petition on Monday, presiding judge, Issa Sserunkuma observed that he had failed to produce substantial evidence to support his electoral mal practice claims.
The judge went on to dismiss the petition with costs to Mr Nabeta.
The petition had been filed by his main challenger Paul Mwiru of opposition Alliance for National Transformation (ANT).
This was after the EC announced Mr Nabeta as the winner of the race with 5,621 votes against Mr Mwiru’s 5,355 votes.
Mr Mwiru had claimed Mr Nabeta connived with Electoral Commission officials to engage in election malpractice.
He had claimed that the EC allegedly connived with Mr Nabeta to exaggerate the results at Masese I Polling Station (N-M) by reportedly using violence and subsequently, falsifying the results, thereby affecting the final outcome in a substantial manner.
According to one of the Declarations of Results (DR) forms exhibited before the court, Masese I Polling Station has 798 voters and of these, Mr Nabeta earned 650 votes, while Mr Mwiru garnered 20 votes.
Immediately after the ruling, Mr Mwiru said: “When I came to Court, we heard all this that the President gave an order that no judicial officer should decide a matter in favour of the Opposition. I told you we have been hearing all this that there is an order to fail all these matters.”
Mr Mwiru told the Judiciary that it was their choice to either to circumvent all Opposition political petitions as it were ordered by the President or to show that they respect judicial power which is derived from the people.
This was the fourth time Mr Mwiru had sued Mr Nabeta over lack of academic qualifications and falsification of results.
In a related development, Fort portal High Court dismissed two parliamentary and one local council election petitions that had been filed it.
The dismissed petitions were filed against Bughendera county MP, Kiiza Acrobert Moses in Bundibugyo District, Tom Butime of Mwenge Central in Kyenjojo District and Mr Robert Tibakunirwa, the Bundibugyo district chairman.
The three election petitions were dismissed by Justice Jeane Rwakakooko.
After 14 January Parliamentary elections for Bughendera County in Bundibugyo district, Christopher Kibanzanga (NRM), petitioned court, challenging the victory of Kiiza (Ind), citing grounds of bribery, falsification of results and ballot stuffing and the existence of ghost voters of the register.
The other dismissed petition that was against Tibakunirwa, had been filed by Mr Ronald Mutegeki (NRM).
Mr Mutegeki, had in his petition, accused Mr Tibakunirwa of bribery and ballot stuffing.
During the elections for LCV chairpersons, Mr Tibakunirwa got 36,385 votes while the petitioner Mr Mutegeki got 32,510 votes.
Likewise, Minister Butiime had been taken to court by Mr Simon Muhumuza Kateeba, citing lack of academic documents.
Shortly after the ruling on Monday evening, MP Kiiza welcomed it and said his rival lost the election because during his tenure, he failed to bring services to the people.
“My brother Kibanzanga failed to work for the people of Bughendera County, so I am going to show him how a good leader works for his people.” MP Kiiza said.
