Nairobi — UGANDA'S SUPREME COURT WILL THIS week begin hearing a petition filed by opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye against President Yoweri Museveni's victory in the February 23 presidential election.

Besigye who also petitioned the court, unsuccessfully, after losing the 2001 election, must be commended for sticking to civil, legal and non-violent measures in seeking political justice. But equally important is the recognition of the fact that the seeds of multiparty politics, sown in the July 2005 referendum that allowed the operations of the political parties, have fallen on fertile grounds.

For the political process to reach maturity, the Supreme Court must be allowed to reach its verdict without any interference and the decision of the judges must be respected by all. But this does not mean that the court should be oblivious to the logistical nightmares that afflicted the exercise and the need for reforms in Uganda's Electoral Commission.

This will help enforce a culture of fair play and tolerance in the electoral process.