The Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama has said that they are ready to respond to any legal question as far as their revised electoral road map is concerned.
Byabakama who was responding to legal suits filed by former sports journalist Joseph Kabuleta, said that no law was under-looked while revising the road map.
Last week, EC issued a revised road map of 2021 polls, banning mass campaigns to limit the spread of Coronavirus. According to the new road map, all campaigns will be conducted via media platforms such as radio, television channels, and social media channels.
However, the road map was never welcomed by the majority of the stakeholders especially from the opposition side alluding that it bears no legal basis.
This included the Watchman Ministry preacher Kabuleta and Dan Walyemera who filed a case in High court seeking to cancel the commission‘s scientific election road map. The duo also asked to have an interim order to stop the whole process until proper consultative meetings involving all stakeholders in an election are held to come up with a road map which is suitable by everybody.
However, in his recent interview with this website, Byabakama said that they are ready for any legal battles because whatever they did was based on the law.
“We shall not be subject to the powers and directions of any person or authority. Also, the public must know that we unveiled the road map ordinarily to call for reactions. We are not saying that what was issued is a verse in the Bible or Koran that is untouchable. What we ere saying is that, this what we feel like a commission best to fit in the environment prevailing now. If people fail to engage with us and prefer court then it’s fine,” he said.
Justice Byabakama wondered why people who are rushing in courts don’t come and engage with them instead of making political news in the name of protesting against the road map.
On Wednesday also the Presidential hopeful, Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde, condemned EC for rushing to hold the 2021 elections amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Everyone seeing that this is a pandemic. If it was not so, you would not have cared to shift the conduct of the election. If the situation is not normal, something else needs to be done. The pandemic is the reason we cannot carry out fully-fledged elections. What are we now pushing for,” he said.
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