Hussein Bogere
23 April 2008
Kampala — Candidates found to have committed an electoral offence should not sit in Parliament, should not participate in the bye-elections and should be sbarred from standing for elections for five years, judges have recommended.
The recommendation is one of many to be discussed by the judges during their annual conference that was opened by the Vice President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, in Kampala on Monday.
There has been a bye-election in Bugiri, Bukomansimbi, Buikwe, Kalungu East, among other places. Since 2006 when the parliamentary elections were held, there have been several electoral petitions in the High Court because of vote stealing, electoral malpractices or lack of adequate academic papers.
As a way of dealing with the backlog, which according to Principal Judge James Ogoola stands at 1600, election petitions revolving around academic qualifications should be dealt with at the lowest levels through administrative and quasi-judicial mechanisms or tribunals at pre-election stage.
The annual conference, whose theme is "Enhancing judicial accountability through building synergies", is aimed at giving an audit of the Judiciary, taking stock of the backlog of cases as well as laying strategies for the New Year, according to the Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki.
Justice Ogoola said the Judiciary continues to face a problem of independence, citing the March 1, 2007 siege of the High Court in Kampala by agents of the state. He said that seizure on the temple of justice will forever leave an indelible footprint. "However, we have managed to safeguard the independence of the Judiciary," he said.
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