Two National Resistance Movement candidates in Kasese district who lost in the February parliamentary elections have filed an election petition seeking a repeat of the polls.
The surprise petition comes just a few days before the High Court in Fort Portal makes a ruling on their earlier petition seeking a recount of votes in the February 18 polls.
Rehema Muhindo lost to Winnie Kiiza of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in the Kasese woman MP race while Fred Businge Police lost to Kiiza’s husband Yokasi Bihande, also of the FDC, in the Bukhonzo East parliamentary race.
Mukindo and Businge petitioned the Kasese chief magistrate's court for a recount which was granted.
Halfway the recount the chief magistrate, Charles Serbuga, halted the process because the seals of some ballot boxes for Bukhonzo East had been tampered with and one of ballot boxes for the Woman MP seat was empty. Only ballot papers in 15 ballot boxes had been recounted.
Muhindo and Businge applied to the Fort Portal High Court demanding for continuation of the vote recount . Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi has been hearing the case and fixed Tuesday next week for his ruling on the case.
In a twist of events, Muhindo and Businge have now petitioned the High Court seeking fresh elections. They cite electoral malpractices and irregularities as some of the grounds for theire new petition.
Through their lawyer, Ngaruye Ruhindi, the petitioners want the High Court to declare the results of Kiiza and Bihande null and void.
Ruhindi says that if the judge orders for the vote recount to continue, then the new petition will be withdrawn but will proceed with the new petition should the court stop the recount.
Kiiza and Bihande are represented by Dan Wandera Ogalo.
