Jet John Tumwebaze one of the lawyers of the legal team of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) representing President Yoweri Museveni has punched holes in an election petition filed by National Unity Platform (NUP). He says that it is a waste of paper.
Appearing on NBS TV on Thursday, Tumwebaze said that the petition is full of empty arguments and promised that it will be a walkover for the NRM’s legal team.
“We were served part of the petition on Monday and another yesterday. We have read through it as well. It is shallow as a pothole and empty of substance. It is a waste of paper,” he said.
“This is the weakest petition we have had to ever encounter. The petition is one any judge would dismiss with a smile so we are ready. One day when the petitioner is reading through it he will wonder what he was up to because it was all over with allegations and nowhere with evidence. This is not how it works, by the time you go to court, you must have legal grievances.”
Tumwebaze further noted that the 2016 petition by former presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi is far better than that of NUP.
“When you look at the Mbabazi petition, even when he was the third runner up, it was well presented and would cause you some sleepless nights but this one is nowhere, just a paper full of allegations with no facts,” he said.
On Wednesday, NRM received the petition filed by former presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi. To officially receive the petition was the NRM Secretary General Justin Kasule Lumumba on behalf of her party chairman President Yoweri Museveni.
Ms Lumumba arrived at the Supreme Court in Kololo to receive the petition in which Kyagulanyi challenges the outcome of the January 14th presidential election.
The NUP candidate who scored slightly about 36% in an 11-man contest, has asked the Supreme Court to among others order the Electoral commission to conduct fresh elections. He claims that the electoral commission’s non-compliance with the law affected the final outcome of the ballot.
NRM has lined up a team of 40 lawyers to defend the party against the petition.
The ruling party’s legal director Oscar Kihika on Tuesday expressed sympathy for the petitioners saying only 20% of the evidence collected is useful. He referred to the rest as ‘wolokoso’ (hearsay). He says they are prepared enough for such petitions.
“It would be silly not to prepare for an election petition. You start preparing early so that when the petitions come, you are prepared. I feel sorry for the petitioners, it is only 20% of the evidence collected that is useful, the rest is hearsay,” Kihika said.
The deputy attorney general, Jackson Kafuuzi, confirmed receipt of the court summons saying these issues are always about evidence especially on the side of the petitioner.
“You can file a thousand allegations but all that matters is the substance in there. If there is no substance then it will be wasting time,” Kafuuzi said.
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