Transcript
INTHECOURTOFAPPEALOFTANZANIAATARUSHA(ORAM:KIMARO,J.A.,LUANDA,J.A.,AndMASSATI,J.A.)CIVILAPPEALNO47OF2012GODBLESSJONATHANLEMA.ã..........ãã.ã.ããã.....ã..ãã........ã..ã.ã.....APPELLANTVERSUSMUSSAHAMISMKANGAAGNESSGIDIONMOLLELHAPPYEMANUELKIVUYO ........................................RESPONDENTS (AppealfromthedecisionoftheHighCourtofTanzaniaAtArusha)(Rwakibarila,J.)dated5 th April,2012inMiscellaneousCivilCaseNo.13of2010 JUDGMENTOFTHECOURT 4TH & 2ptDecember,2012 LUANDA,JA:InOctober,2010ourcountrywitnessedyetanothermultipartyGeneralElection.InArushaconstituency,Mr.GodblessJonathanLema(henceforththeappellant)ofChamachaDemokrasianaMaendeleo(henceforthCHADEMA)emergedavictorafterhescooped56,196against hisopponentsfromotherpoliticalparties,interalia,Dr.Batilda5alhaBurianofChamachaMapinduzi(henceforthCCM)whogot37,460.TheabovenamedrespondentswhoaccordingtothepetitionwerereferredasregisteredvotersandwhoweremembersoftheCCMweredissatisfiedwiththeresults.So,theyfiledanelectionpetitionintheHighCourtofTanzaniaatArushatochallengethesameandprayedthattheresultsbenullified.Theirmaingroundofcomplaintraisedinthepetitionisthattheappellantuttereduncivilwordsduringthecampaignofwhichtheirtotalsumwerescandalousanddiscriminatorywithaviewtoexploitingreligion,sexandresidencedifferences,asaresultofwhichtheelectorsrefrainedfromvotingforDr.Burian.Therespondent'scasehadfourteenwitnessesincludingthepetitioners;whereastheappellant'scasehadfourinclusivetheappellant.TheHonAttorneyGeneralwhowasjoinedasanecessarypartydidnotcallanywitness.Afterhearingthepartiesandsubmissionsmadebytheirrespectlearnedcounsel,thetriallearnedjudgefoundoutthattheappellanthadcommittedsomeoftheactscomplainedof.HeaccordinglyavoidedtheelectionwithcoststotherespondentsanddirectedtheDistrictRegistrarof 2 theHighCourt,ArushaRegistrytoinformtheDirectorofElectionintermsofsection114(1)-(7)oftheNationalElectionAct,Cap.343RE.2002(theAct)sothatsanctionbeimposedupontheappellantlikedisqualificationfromvotingatanelection.Theappellantwasaggrieved,hencethisappeal.Inthisappeal,Mr.AluteMughwaiandMr.MoldestAkidalearnedcounselwhoalsoappearedintheHighCourt,advocatedfortherespondents;whereasMr.MethodKimomogoroandMr.TunduLissulearnedcounselwhoalsorepresentedtheappellantintheHighCourtappearedfortheappellant.TheHonAttorneyGeneralwasrepresentedbyMr.TimonvitallslearnedPrincipalStateAttorneywhoalsoappearedintheHighCourt.Theappellanthasraisedeighteengroundsinhismemorandumofappeal.Howeverhavingcarefullyreadtherecordofappealwiththememorandumofappealweproposeandindeedwefinditpropertoresolvefirsttheissueofstandingoftherespondentsinbringingthispetitionastheissuedidnotcomeoutveryclearly.Thisisbecausethequestionofstandingisfundamentalininstitutinganyactioninacourtoflaw. 3 Weareofthesettlednewthatsincethequestionofstandingisofparamountimportanceintheseproceedingsandthisbeingthefirstappealanditbeingapointoflaw,weareofthefirmviewthatweareentitledtogothroughtherecordandmakeafindingastowhetherthepetitionershadthe locusstandi toinstitutethepetition.ThisquestionwasraisedinthetrialcourtbybothMr.VitalisandMr.Kimomogoroasapreliminaryobjection.InanswerMr.Alutereliedon5.111(1)(a)oftheActthattherespondentswereregisteredvoters.Paragraph2ofthepetitionreads. 2.Thepetitionersareregisteredvotersandwereentitledtovoteattheelectiontowhichthispetitionrelates.Copiesoftheirvoter'scardsareannexedheretoandmarked ''A(l-J)'' collectively. ItistruethatMr.Aluteannexedthecards.IndeedMr.Aluteattemptedtoestablish,thattherespondentswereregisteredvoters.Thisiswhattranspiredincourt:- Date06/09/2011Coram:A.K.Mujulizi,] t PetitionerPresent ~d petitioner}Mr.MughwaiI d Petitioner & Mr.ModestAkida 4
