checkperms - why suid?

If run as a normal user, cadmin checkperms fails.

            elif type == 'user':
                user = config.cfg.getItem('access_check_arg')
                uid = pwd.getpwnam(user)[2]
                os.setuid(uid)

vancleef [511] > cadmin checkperms
This feature is BETA - please notify the list of problems
Traceback (innermost last):
  File "/usr/sbin/cadmin", line 325, in ?
    main()
  File "/usr/sbin/cadmin", line 221, in main
    os.setuid(uid)
OSError: [Errno 1] Operation not permitted


I am in an interesting place.  The archive of RPM files reside on 
a NFS mounted partition.  Therefore, all interaction must be done
as a normal user.  This requires a lot of jumping back and forth
from root, to do things like start/stop the apache server.

Bob