DP leaders sue party as wrangles deepen

The leadership wrangles within the Opposition Democratic Party (DP) have taken a new twist after a group of 32 people petitioned court to challenge the decision to halt elections of the executive committee in Makindye Sabagabo Municipality in Kampala.

In the case filed before the Kampala High Court yesterday, the group led by Mr Godfrey Ssemwanga, the party chairperson for Bunamwaya Division are seeking for orders to quash the party decision to halt their election.

It is alleged that the 32 people were elected in the recently held grass root party polls at village, parish and division level.

The group alleges that through its acting secretary general, Mr Gerald Siranda, DP arbitrarily ordered the halting of the election process on the basis that the party had received petitions challenging the manner in which the electoral process was being conducted.

They further state that DP through its agents started holding secret fresh election for the leaders of DP at village levels, parish, division and municipality levels in Makindye Ssabagabo without going through the established grassroot party structures there by infringing on their rights.

“The applicants (complainants) were never informed of the decision to carry out the fresh elections and neither were the established grassroot party structures, and therefore, none of them or their electorate participated in the fresh election,” the court document reads in part.

Through their lawyers, the group is seeking court declaration that the decision halting the election of the executive committees is illegal.

“A declaration that the decision of the respondent party, its agents in holding secret fresh election of the executive committees of DP leadership for Makindye Sabagabo Municipality that had been completed up to division levels through the grassroot party structure electoral process is irrational, unreasonable, illegal and constitutes an egregious infringement and abuse of the applicants’rights to participate in the political affairs of DP,” reads the complaint. DP’s president general Norbert Mao could not be reached for a comment by press time.

Similar case in Wakiso

They (complainants) are also seeking for court declaration that the swearing in of the executive committees of DP leadership from village level to constituencies in Wakiso District without going through the grass root part structures is illegal and the party leadership needs to be restrained from holding further elections.

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