High Court in Jinja on Monday issued orders to the Electoral Commission, halting Local Council (LC) and Women elections that were slated for next week.

The orders were issued by High Court’s Justice Jesse Byaruhanga Rugyema following an application filed by a Jinja Secondary School Senior Six student named Allan Alibawa.

According to Alibawa, he will be sitting his Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) National Exams  during the scheduled time for the elections and for that reason, he would be unable to vote if the elections went ahead.

His lawyer, Council Ester Adikin says “Our argument is that most of the Senior Six candidates are sitting exams and you know they are eligible voters. The election schedules would deny them their right to vote”.

The LC1 elections were slated for Tuesday November 21, 2017 while women councils were to be elected today by way of lining up behind candidates.

Electoral Commission chairman Justice Byamukama Mugenyi has already issued a statement stopping the elections following the orders from high Court.

Justice Jesse Byaruhanga Rugyema’s ruling indicates that the elections will be held before the end of the year.

The ruling was however made in the absence of the Electoral Commission lawyers, although the judge confirmed that they were served but did not show up.

The Electoral Commission is yet to issue a statement in response to court’s order.