Opposition accuses government of harassing judiciary

Members of the Ugandan opposition have expressed fear that the ruling Movement party is out to interfere with the judiciary and "manipulate" the outcome of a court case on the activities of political parties. On Tuesday, opposition groups led by the Democratic Party, said they gone to court to challenge the Political Parties and Organisations Act (2002), passed by parliament on 9 May. The new law, aimed at regulating political parties, went into force on 2 June. In a statement, the petitioners argued that the new law imposed unfair restrictions on the activities of traditional political parties, which were not equally applied to the ruling party. Cecilia Ogwal, a member of the Uganda People's Congress (UPC) party, told IRIN on Thursday she feared the government would direct "a lot of harassment" towards the judiciary. "Much as we feel the judiciary is going to do a job, they are still under a lot of pressure from the executive," Ogwal said. "The Political Parties and Organisations Act is in violation of the rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Ugandan constitution," Paul Ssemogerere, the leader of the Democratic Party (DP), said in the statement. Since coming to power in 1986, Museveni has installed a "no-party" system, in which the National Resistance Movement (NRM) - later renamed "The Movement" - presides over state affairs. Under this system, the activities of political parties are severely restricted and meetings can only take place at national headquarters. Critics of the system claim the Movement is aimed at entrenching a one-party system. The new law also requires all existing political parties to re-register themselves within six months, after which they will be operating "illegally". "Why are they asking political parties, which have already been in existence, to register now?," Ogwal asked. "The registration of parties is a continuous process."