James Owebeyi, one of the contestants in the Bukimbiri County parliamentary election in Kisoro district, has sued the Electoral Commission for allegedly allowing non-nominated aspirants to contest for the parliamentary seat.
In a suit filed at the Kabale High Court, Owebeyi alleges that the Electoral Commission allowed persons who had not been duly nominated to be elected on that day.
“The names of the candidates that appeared on the ballot paper did not correspond to those who were nominated, and even those that appeared on the declaration form and TR form,” argues Owebeyi in his sworn affidavit.
The petitioner further argues that the Electoral Commission misled the voters to elect wrong candidates and used wrong and invalid votes to declare wrong results.
“The names that appeared on the ballot paper did not correspond to the photos of the respective candidates who were nominated in that constituency, thus misleading the voters,” Owebeyi further avers.
The alleged non-nominated candidates were Edie Kwizera wa Gahugu, Martin Muhereza, Asigario Turyagyenda and the petitioner James Owebeyi.
The Electoral Commission’s Returning Officer for Kisoro district declared Kwizera of the NRM the winner and the validly elected MP for Bukimbiri County Constituency.
Kwizera garnered 11, 821 votes, followed closely by Turyagyenda (Independent) with 11, 330 votes and in a distant third and fourth were Muhereza (Independent) with 167 votes and Owebeyi (FDC) with 107 votes.
To back up his claim, Owebeyi attached copies of the ballot paper, declaration form and TR form which indeed show different names of the aspirants.
Whereas on the declaration form the EC announced Kwizera as the winner, the ballot paper bears the name of Arthur Atuhwerire Kazoora with the photo of Kwizera conversely, Muhereza on the declaration form has the name of Victor Atwine on the ballot paper, Owebeyi on the declaration form has the name of Didas Byaruhanga Kaginda on the ballot paper and Turyagyenda on the declaration form has the name of Dononzio Mugabe Kahonda on the ballot paper.
