The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has filed a response to the Constitutional Court defending the Central Executive Committee (CEC) decision which endorsed President Yoweri Museveni as their sole presidential Candidate in 2021 elections.
In the response filed in court, the ruling party revealed that the CEC acted with in law in making their recommendations and nobody was stopped from expressing interest to compete for the same post
“The respondent’s Parliamentary caucus recommendations are political questions and not a matter of judicial consideration of the constitution or constitution interpretation,” read part of the response.
They added that being that the 11 legislators didn’t attend the Parliamentary caucus meeting doesn’t invalidate the proceedings which involved endorsing Museveni as a sole candidate.
” Any organ of the party is at liberty to recommend one of its members for selection by the membership as its presidential flag bearer as a matter of strategy.
In an affidavit by Oscar Kihika, the Director for legal services of the party, he says the petitioners could have used other means to seek remedies other than petitioning the constitutional court
“The petition in its current form offends the cardinal rules of pleading as the petition doesn’t specify any particular constitutional infringement ” Kihika added
The CEC meeting which sat at Chobe Safari Lodge in Nwoya district under a theme ‘Building on solid achievement consolidating the unity of NRM of Wanainchi towards vision 2040’ endorsed Museveni as their sole candidate in 2021 and beyond
Early last month MPs through their lawyers of Alaka and company advocates, Niwagaba Advocates and Solicitors and Barireire , Muhangi and Company Advocates petitioned court seeking the actions of the CEC be declared illegal
The 11 petitioners are John Baptist Nambeshe (Manjiya), Patrick Nsamba Oshabe (Kassanda North), Samuel Lyomoki (Workers), Silvia Akello (Otuke), Susan Amero (Amuria), Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga), Monicah Amoding (Kumi District), Barnabas Tinkasimire (Buyaga West), Mbwatekamwa Gaffa (Kasambya), James Acidri (Maracha) and Moses Bildad Adome (Jie).
