Pro-Mbabazi case against Museveni set for hearing

The petition seeks to bar President Museveni from standing for another term in office, saying he will not be qualified to contest for presidency in 2016 because the constitutional age limit will not allow him complete the five-year term.

Kampala- The pro-Mbabazi petition challenging President Museveni’s candidature for 2016 has been fixed for hearing on May 26.

The petition filed in the Constitutional Court by Mr Benjamin Alipanga, a supporter of former prime minister Amama Mbabazi, says President Museveni will not be qualified to stand for presidency in 2016 because the constitutional age limit will not allow him complete the five-year term.

Under the Uganda Constitution, a person who is aged below 35 and above 75 is not eligible to stand for presidency. Mr Museveni is now 71 years old. If he is re-elected in 2016 for another five years, he will turn 75 in 2019, two years before the end of his new term.

On Monday, lawyers representing Mr Benjamin Alipanga and the National Resistance Movement (NRM) entered the Constitutional Court ready for the hearing but were told the registrar was busy and the case proceedings could not start.

“We were ready to proceed and have the case disposed of. We were meant to sit with a Justice of the court and agree on the facts, issues and law to be relied on as well as other areas that might come up,” Mr Severino Twinobusingye, a lawyer for the petitioner, told Saturday Monitor.

The Monday meeting was expected to agree on the key issues for determination in the petition and set the date for the hearing.

The petition also seeks to block Parliament from amending the Constitution to remove the age limit of 75 for eligibility of a presidential candidate.

The petitioner, Mr Alipanga, also wants court to block the Electoral Commission from nominating Mr Museveni, now aged 71, until the petition is disposed of.
He also wants court to nullify the NRM caucus resolution during a retreat in Kyankwanzi which endorsed Mr Museveni as the party’s sole presidential candidate for 2016.

The NRM is represented by lawyer Kiwanuka Kiryowa with the Attorney General for the Electoral Commission.

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com