31 March 2016

Minister Otengo loses election result petition




The State minister for Northern Uganda, Ms Rebecca Amuge Otengo, has lost a petition she filed at the High Court in Lira challenging an interim court order staying a vote recount in the Moroto MP elections.






Justice Margaret Mutonyi delivered the ruling on Tuesday afternoon at the Lira High Court saying the vote recount exercise was uncalled for.






Ms Otengo contested the Moroto MP election results after her rival, Independent Samuel Okwir was declared the winner.






Ms Otengo, the incumnbent Alebtong District Woman MP, refused to concede defeat and petitioned Lira Magistrates’ Court for a vote recount that was granted. Mr Okwir secured a counter court order from Lira High Court staying the vote recount exercise.






As a result, Ms Otengo petitioned Lira High Court seeking to quash the court order blocking the vote recount exercise in the sub-counties of Abia, Aloi and Akura.






In her affidavit, Ms Otengo alleged that she obtained the highest number of votes but her votes were either falsified or invalidated to aid her rival’s victory. She further alleged the exercise of counting, tallying and declaration of results was done in contravention of the principles of fairness and transparency.
Court heard that the Alebtong returning officer, Ms Christine Eyu, however, denied the allegations and stated that the exercise of counting, tallying and declaration of results was conducted in accordance with the provision of the law.
Court also heard the applicant [Ms Otengo] aver that the results counted and announced at many polling stations in Aloi Sub-county are not the actual ballots cast in her favour. She did not adduce evidence of what were the actual ballots cast in her favour and the source of that information.






On Tuesday afternoon, Justice Mutonyi dismissed the petition saying that the lower court erred when it ordered the vote recount exercise saying “the Chief Magistrate does not mention any evidence before him adduced by the applicant rather than allegations in the affidavits.”






She said the chief magistrate had no powers to continue hearing the application because he acted outside the law.
Talking to journalists, Ms Otengo welcomed the ruling saying they will work together for the development of Moroto.






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