Party member drags NRM to court over CEC resolutions on polls
A man intending to stand on one of the positions in the forthcoming ruling National Resistance Movement elections has dragged the party to court over the Central Executive Committee resolutions.
The NRM top organ recently passed a resolution in which it directed the party electoral commission to exclusively nominate and conduct elections for other party positions other than the Youth League.
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However, in the suit one Moses Banalekaki, who describes himself as one who wants to stand as the national chairperson for the Youth League says implementation of the resolution of the NRM CEC that stopped elections for special interest groups is unfair and illegal.
“The first respondent(NRM)’s constitution under Article 13(2) (a-h) is clear on the composition of the CEC and includes representatives of special interest groups like the Youth League among others,” Banalekaki says in his suit before the civil division of the High Court in Kampala.
He argues that the resolution that only allowed a section of CEC members to be elected, leaving out the Youth League representative to CEC in the forthcoming national delegates conference was discriminatory, in bad faith, illegal, irregular, unfair, and in breach of the Constitution of the ruling NRM party.
“The Youth constitute over 80% of the registered NRM party members, yet, the CEC resolution that was passed only opened a section of its leadership which constitutes of only old people.This is selfishness by the CEC members who are the biggest beneficiaries of their own resolutions thus casting the party in bad light and dis-empowers the youth. It leaves the party to only elders while locking out youths without a platform to address their affairs yet they constitute the majority members of the party.”
Banalekaki says that he has since applied for a judicial review adding that there is eminent threat if the case is not heard expeditiously.
Declarations
The applicant wants court to declare CEC resolutions illegal and discriminatory and halt the election of the nominated CEC members.
Banalekaki also wants court to declare the youth position in the CEC open for nomination and thus be allowed to pick nominations and participate in the election of CEC members.
“The applicant is likely to suffer irreparable injury which cannot be adequately compensated by an award of damages if this application is not granted as the applicant only has this opportunity to contest or the position of Youth League representative which is limited to candidates of below 30 years of age,” the court documents say.
