The mandated 30 days for candidates in the parliamentary elections to file their petitions to High Court after the Electoral Commission gazettes election results elapsed yesterday and the Judiciary says it has received a total of 104 parliamentary election petitions arising from the January 14 elections.
Judiciary spokesperson Jameson Karemani says the institution is ready to handle the petition and has 54 days to dispose of them. He reveals that they are waiting for the affected parties to file their defence for the hearings to start.
“The respondents are responding to the petitions which were served to them. For some who are unable to be found, the petitioners are using alternative means to serve them.
By the close of this week, we expect to have received all the responses and then embark on starting the hearings. We have been preparing ourselves because like in the previous elections, we knew there are likely to be election petitions,” says Karemani.
Karemani adds that all cases shall be determined in a professional manner as per the existing laws governing elections in the country.