SHEEMA: The Minister for Science Technology and Innovation, Dr Elioda Tumwesigye has said he raised an illegality issue of organising elections in Sheema Municipality with the Electoral Commission but they did not listen to him.
Dr Elioda, who lost his Parliamentary seat through a court ruling said prior to leaving his former constituency of Sheema North to contest in the municipality, he demanded to know whether the election was a by election or not but he was instead told to just participate as the same was legitimate.
“Is it by-elections or general elections? I even asked the Electoral Commission about it. I was also reasoning that why should we have elections but they insisted. I said I am not fearing the election; since you have put me in municipality where I am born, let’s go. I contested and I went through,” Dr Elioda said at the weekend.
The minister was speaking at a baptism party of 23 children in Kyikonko Cell, Karera Ward, Kashozi Division Sheema Municipality.
While dismissing the six MPs last Friday, the Constitutional Court in a unanimous decision, described the direct election of the affected six law makers as “improper”, “having been conducted prematurely” for non-existent vacancies, hence null and void.
Dr Elioda also told his voters to remain calm, saying irrespective of the court decision, he is still in Parliament as the ex-officio since he is a minister.
“People of Sheema Municipality relax. The phone calls I have been receiving since yesterday (Friday when the ruling was made), it is as if the world has come to an end. What is it really?
So those jubilating, this has nothing to do with the case that had been filed against me in Mbarara High Court which I won in broad daylight,” he said.
When contacted yesterday, the EC spokesperson, Mr Jotham Taremwa, said they cannot respond to any questions until they get a copy of the court decision, internalise it and decide on the way forward.
“There should not be panic and fingerprinting at this point. Important to note is that this ruling is appealable,” Mr Taremwa said.
