A section of Uganda Law Society members are dissatisfied with favouritism way ULS President Pheona Nabasa Wall is conducting the elections process for the incoming President of East Africa law society.
Bernard Oundo, one of the candidates for the EALS presidency has written in protest to President of East Africa Law society Willy Rubeya to intervene in the crucial matter, while accusing ULS President Pheona Wall of not being neutral and competent enough to conduct free and fair elections of regional institution of repute.
According to Oundo , the email dated 1st October 2020 , the ULS informed its membership of the forthcoming elections for the governing council of the East Africa Law Society and ULS circulated a letter dated 29th September 2020 which called upon members interested in the position of president to express their interest by 27th October 2020.
However, on 10th November 2020 ULS decided to arbitrarily extend the nomination deadline to 11th November 2020 which was just 7 days to elections. The expression of interest must have been made by 27th October 2020 , Rules regarding elections are made to level the playing field and to ensure fairness and transparency of the process.
“Why then would the ULS leadership extend the deadline that had already passed and with only seven days left to the elections date? What is the rationale of a one- day extension of the nomination deadline unless it is meant to favor a specific person”,he asked.
He called upon EALS to pronounce themselves on the integrity and transparency of the process of the upcoming elections.
President Phiona wall is blamed of single handedly extending the nomination of candidates in order to favour one of her crony feminist Anne Abuja who is already referred as “the late comer”.
Bernard Oundo has been battling it out with Edwin Tabaro for the East African region top law position before Anne Abuja was chipped in.
One of the human rights lawyers one Isaac Ssemakadde tweeted expressing his displeasure with the conduct of President Pheona Wall in organising EALS elections. He was later on,supported by other lawyers like Shiela Wagidoso, Joseph Amanya, Male Mabirizi, Advocate Kamoga who questioned why ULS President Phiona Wall extended the nominations to cater for Anne Abeja when there were already candidates in the race?
East Africa Law Society is the apex regional bar Association of East Africa jointly founded in 1995 by a group of Lawyers with the support of the leadership of the national Bar Associations of the member states.
By press time, Ms Wall was not available to be reached on phone for a comment.
