In a petition filed at Masaka High Court Registry, Ponsiono Balikka Matovu who contested as an independent candidate says the elections conducted on January 27th 2021, were marred with inconsistencies that affected the overall results and the integrity of the process.
The loser in the election for councillor representing workers to
Lwengo district council has petitioned the High Court in Masaka seeking to overturn
the results alleging irregularities.
In a petition filed at Masaka High Court Registry, Ponsiono
Balikka Matovu who contested as an independent candidate says the elections
conducted on January 27th 2021, were marred with inconsistencies that affected
the overall results and the integrity of the process.
The Electoral Commission declared Aggrey Tumuhimbise, the National
Resistance Movement-NRM candidate winner with 98 votes, followed by Paul
Mugambwa, independent with 77 votes, Patrick Mwanje scoring seven and Ponsiano
Matovu Balikka emerged last with one vote.
However, Matovu contends that the elections were not a true
reflection of people’s will, alleging that the NRM candidate connived with the
Electoral Commission to manipulate the process in his favour.
He also accused the Electoral Commission of denying him the
voters’ register which complicated his efforts to effectively conduct his
campaign.
In his petition, Matovu also indicates that Tumuhimbise who was
declared winner is not an eligible candidate for the position. He alleges that
Tumuhimbise does not subscribe to any workers’ union as required by law.
He also accuses the Electoral Commission Presiding Officer of
allowing non registered voter to participate in the process, hence inflating
the results in favour of the NRM candidate.
For instance, in his petition, Matovu indicates that according to
the Electoral Commission results all the 184 delegates showed up to cast votes
on the polling day, yet in reality, over 30 of the registered voters did not
participate in the election.
He says that the election exercise was clogged with procedural
irregularities thereby falling short of the principle of fairness.
//Cue in: (Luganda)
“naye nasaba….
Cue out; …..nga ffe
sitwalonda.”//
But Tumuhimbise describes that petition as a mere gimmick with no grounds
that can make it stand in court.
According to him, the petitioner boycotted the election, arguing
that there was no way voters would consider an absentee candidate who was
hardly known to them. He says he has all convincing the grounds to
defend his victory, adding he will only wait for the court to fix the matter
for hearing to disprove the petition.
The Masaka High Court circuit has so far registered ten election
petitions arising from the general elections conducted early this year. Seven
of the petitions are related to parliamentary polls while three are challenging
local council polls.
