Expectations are high at the Forum for Democratic Change party headquarters as officials await the Court ruling on East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) elections.
Alice Alaso, the party secretary general says they were eagerly and full of hope waiting for the East African Court of Justice to rule in their favour.
FDC lawyers are in Arusha seeking for an interim injunction on the EALA elections which they say are going on in total disregard of the East African Treaty.
The FDC is seeking an interpretation from the court on the rules of procedure of the Parliament of Uganda which define how membership to EALA is constituted in consonance with the treaty.
Alaso says the judgment will show that justice and fairness have been accorded to not only FDC but to other political parties and all Ugandans.
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This follows what FDC calls the move by the ruling National Resistance Movement to manipulate the elections with its numerical strength in Parliament. On May 21, NRM nominated six of its members to take up EALA slots leaving only three to be shared by the other five parties represented in Parliament.
The lawyers now in Arusha, Tanzania, include the party legal secretary Wandera Ogalo and Jackson Kafuzi.
Alaso says they continue to prepare for the elections internally until they get the court’s response.
She expresses confidence that the judges in Arusha, cannot be compromised and however the ruling goes, the FDC will still have won.
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Alaso also clarified Louis Dramadri’s cancellation as an EALA candidate for FDC following his move to forge her signature.
She confirms that she wrote to the Clerk to Parliament, Jane Lubowa Kibirige, canceling his nomination and Dramadri was also asked to write an apology to both the party officials and the Clerk.
Dan Mugarura, the FDC electoral commissioner says they await Kibirige’s response. He adds that though Dramadri’s action is criminal, they shall not report the matter to police. It is being handled by the security and defence department.
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FDC finds itself in a dilemma as the party faces a risk of failing to be represented at the regional parliament. Opposition had last week resolved to boycott the voting exercise after failing to agree with NRM on the sharing of EALA slots. The opposition had wanted government to stick to Article 50 of the East African Treaty, which provides for all political parties in national parliaments to be represented at EALA, where possible. This arrangement would have given the opposition five seats, leaving NRM with four.
After the meeting, however, Uganda People’s Congress and the Democratic Party went ahead and nominated their candidates.
