The opposition Forum for Democratic Change-FDC is amending it case before the East African Court of Justice challenging the election of Uganda’s representatives to the East African legislative Assembly. In May, FDC sent its legal team led by Wandera Ogaalo to seek an interim injunction halting the EALA elections in Uganda.
The legal team also filed an application seeking an interpretation on the rules of procedure of the Parliament of Uganda which defines the composition of EALA membership with the treaty. However, the Judges were away in Sweden and a hearing date was not set though the case had been filed for mention. Now, Wafulu Ogutu, the FDC spokesman says that they are amending the plea arguing that the elections were an infringement on the East African Treaty.
He says that their lawyers, Paul Mwiru, Ladislaus Rwakafuzi and Abdu Katuntu are heading to Arusha before the end of this week to file an amended application. Ogutu says they have prepared enough evidence for the case and are confident the end result will be in their favour.
//Cue in: We are going to amend …”
Cue out:…evidence for our case.”//
FDC first went to court following the decision by the ruling National Resistance Movement to dominate the EALA representation based on numerical strength. NRM nominated six candidates out of the nine slots reserved for Uganda drawing protests from the main opposition party FDC. FDC also felt betrayed after the Democratic Party and the Uganda People’s Congress went ahead to nominate candidates for the remaining slots. Even the UPC is represented by Chris Opoka Okumu, the party president and top officials maintain that he does not represent them.
The party President recently told journalists that the party shall wait for the Arusha court ruling for them to officially participate in EALA elections. But Mukasa Mbidde the DP’s legal head and representative to EALA says the East African Court of justice is a specialized court and its major jurisdiction is not to handle election petitions. He cautions the FDC to withdraw the case saying they cannot qualify because of their status of being an aggrieved party and non participants in the EALA elections.
Mbidde argues that the court will send back the case to a local court in Uganda to which FDC will lose miserably so they should stop wasting time. The opposition shadow Attorney general Katuntu is confident that they have a case and would not just waste time going to Arusha. Katuntu adds that whoever thinks they have no case should meet them in court and wait for the ruling.
