The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | At least 32 leaders from various levels in the Democratic Party- DP structures in Makindye Ssabagabo Municipality have sued the party leadership for halting internal elections.
They contend that the DP Secretary General, Dr. Gerald Siranda arbitrary halted the elections in Makindye on grounds that he had received petitions challenging the manner in which the elections were being conducted.
They also argue that DP through its agents fragrantly started holding fresh elections for leaders at village, parish and division levels in Makindye Ssabagabo Municipality with the help of Dick Lukyamuzi and Elijah Kazibwe without going through the established party structures.
They contend that by doing so, the party infringed on their civic rights enshrined in the 1995 constitution of the Republic of Uganda. On January 9th 2020, the DP President General, Norbert Mao issued guidelines on the party road map leading to the National Delegate’s Conference where he directed the sub-branch and branch executive committees be elected based on the party register.
Mao also directed that the branch and sub-branch executive committees to act within the party constitution and take decisions through the formal structures. Through their lawyers of Lukwago and Company Advocates, the applicants state that before releasing the roadmap and election materials, Siranda for his personal interests and without going through party structures released registers of party members to Abbey Kitenda, the Deputy Organizing Secretary of Makindye Ssabagabo constituency.
He reportedly instructed Kitenda to hand over the same to John-Mary Luberenga, the constituency chairperson without going through the established structures. The applicants allege that the materials exchanged hands without going through the grass-root structures as had been directed by Mao.
The applicants contend that they were never informed of the decision to carry out fresh elections and therefore none of them or their electorates participated in the polls which violated their human rights, freedoms and right to a fair hearing.
They fault DP for swearing in the said leaders without going through established grass-root structures. The applicants say they have since been subjected to inconveniences, mental anguish and emotional stress for which DP should be held liable.
They now want court to quash the party decision halting the elections of Makindye Ssaabagabo DP executive that had been completed up to the municipality level through the grassroots party structure electoral process. They also want court to declare the same as illegal, unreasonable, and amounts to abuse of their rights to participate in the political affairs of DP in their area.
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