By John Ogulei
SOROTI
The lawyer representing the Electoral Commission on a legal boundary review case filed by the Soroti Municipality Mp Herbert Edmund Ariko has told court and Soroti Residents that the Electoral Commission is ready to conduct fresh elections for Soroti City once court nullifies the outcome of the 14th January 2021 polls.
While appearing before the Soroti High Court Judge His Lordship Justice Wilson Musalu Musene, Patrick Wateke the electoral commission lawyer said, the electoral commission is prepared to act within the orders of the court.
“The 6th respondent shall conduct fresh polls for Soroti City if the court decides to nullify the outcome of the 14th January. On 14th January we strictly adhered to the instrument and guidance of Minister Magezi on creating Soroti City in the conduct and organization of its electoral activities,” Wateka Said.
Wateka further told the court that, “It was not until 26th November 2020 that the court issued orders declaring that the Parishes of Aloet and Opiyai be in Soroti West and EC acted on that ordered”.
On 26th November 2020 the Soroti High Court Judge Justice Musalu Musene ordered that the parishes of Aloet and Orwadai be under Soroti City West after Michael Enyau, Robert Onanyang, Stephen Erienju, Patrick Eselu and Brian Omoding concerned voters filed a petition against the curbing of Orwadai and Aloet Parishes to Soroti City West.
However a decision the incumbent Soroti Municipality Mp wants to be reviewed.
In his application before the same judge Mr. Ariko wants the ruling be recalled, reviewed and corrected. Ariko also wants all actions taken pursuant to the ruling (elections) and orders on civil suit be nullified and set aside.
Ariko urges that, Court made a mistake in setting up boundaries for Soroti City while omitting or otherwise removing Opiyai and Aloet from the East adding that the list doesn’t match the gazetted number of parishes in Soroti City East.
He further added that he is aggrieved by the judgment of the court because it deprived him of two of his strongholds in the parliamentary elections (Aloet and Opiyai) where he used a lot of resources.
But Phiona Mirembe, the lawyer representing the five respondents, however asked the court to give her time to respond to Ariko’s review in writing.
However, the Soroti High Court Judge Musalu Musene dismissed her plea and decided to set 05th March 2021 as the day of delivering the ruling.
