High Court sitting in Masindi has today (Thursday) adjourned hearing of an election petition in which Ms Asinansi Nyakato sued Ms Harriet Busiinge and the Electoral Commission (EC) over purported electoral malpractices.
On October 30, 2019, Ms Nyakato (FDC) petitioned High Court challenging the EC’s declaration of Ms Busiinge (NRM) as winner of last year’s by-election for the Hoima district woman Member of Parliament.
In the hotly contested elections, the EC said that Ms Busiinge garnered 33,301votes while Ms Nyakato polled 28,789 votes.
However, Ms Nyakato did not concede defeat opting for a petition in which she demanded court to annul Ms Busiinge’s declaration as winner citing vote rigging.
Presiding over the case, Justice Paul Gadenya Wolimbwa ordered Ms Nyakato to submit her application today and serve it to the respondents by Monday, ready to appear before court on July 24, 2020 for hearing of the case.
Through her lawyer, Muhammad Mbabazi of Nyanzi Kiboneka & Mbabazi Advocates, Ms Nyakato said her advocate will work on the matter accordingly.
Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, Ms Nyakato said that she also wrote to court requesting it to compel the EC to produce the voters’ register, declaration of results forms and memory cards for the biometric machines that were used in the elections.
She said these will enable her ascertain if what the EC announced tallies with what is in the requested items.
Ms Busiinge, who also attended the court session was represented by Moses Kabega of Kabega, Bogezi & Bukenya Advocates.
The Hoima district woman parliamentary seat fell vacant after Ms Tophace Kaahwa Byagira decided to represent the new Kikuube district to parliament as a woman MP.
Kikuube was carved out of Hoima.
