A section of Members of Parliament have expressed mixed reactions over former Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi's move to withdraw his petition after claiming that he would not get justice.
The decision to petition and to withdraw may be the petitioner's alone, but it is of concern to all citizens as it seeks to overturn the results of the general election that determined who will lead their country for the next five years beginning mid May.
A section of Members of Parliament have thus expressed their reactions over former Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi's move to withdraw his petition after saying that he would not get justice.
The National Unity Platform Presidential candidate Robert
Kyagulanyi Ssentamu today directed his lawyers to withdrawn the election petition
challenging President Yoweri Museveni’s victory.
Kyagulanyi said his team stood no chance in a court that looks
compromised by the incumbent. He said the judges of the Supreme Court met
President Museveni who is a respondent in the case up to three times and there
is a likelihood of bias.
Kyagulanyi also said that the fact that he could not amend the
petition to include more grounds meant he couldn’t move forward.
Ronald Mugume, the Rukungiri Municipality MP says that Kyagulanyi should have continued with the case and exposed the weakness in the Judiciary.He also says that the issue of independence of the judiciary is something that should be discussed since it has continued to be mentioned in all electoral petitions.
Mugume claims currently Museveni is a big player in the Judiciary, legislature and the Legislature.
Mugume says exposing the system is also a form of justice, and his withdrawal would make it seem like President Museveni won genuinely. He says people should not be led to misunderstand that the elections were free and fair.
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Wilfred Niwagaba, the Ndorwa East MP says
Kyagulanyi’s decision is his and no one can and should even say he is right or
wrong. He however says the issue of bias is of strong concern.
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Nandala Mafabi, the Secretary General Forum for
Democratic Change (FDC) says they gave NUP the space and were waiting for the
submissions and arguments. He says that that previously they have gone to court
and nothing has worked.
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Bukomansimbi County MP Deogracious Kiyingi says the withdrawal
of the election petition might affect the political career of Kyagulanyi and
the same voters might lose confidence in him if he contends in any elective
politics, saying he might as well have not participated in the elections.
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Abbas Agaba the Kitagwenda county MP says it is Kyagulanyi’s right to withdraw a case when he thinks justice will not be served.
“ It is his right to withdraw a case, especially if he says there will not be fair hearing since he says the judges are biased. “ he says.
However some MPs say Kyagulanyi was not prepared enough to petition the
court over the irregularities that marred the general elections 2021.
Kabula County MP James Kakoza Kyagulanyi says Kyagulanyi perhaps didn’t have enough evidence, that is why he came in later, adding that if he had all the results declarations forms countrywide there would
be no reason to withdraw the petition.
