Bishop John Baptist Odama, the Archbishop of Gulu Archdiocese has
asked contestants who lost to accept the results.
Odama said that politicians and their supporters should not treat elections as
a do or die and opt for violence once they lose.
The Archbishop says that elections come and go but people remain together and
life must continue.
He also pleaded with losers in the elections to seek peaceful means of solving
their grievances once they are discontented with the results.
‘’In an election, there must be losers and winners. This is a fact for which
both candidates and the general public must be prepared for.
In case there are disputes and the results are not acceptable to the losers,
legal and peaceful means should be followed.
If the candidate you voted for has genuinely lost, accept the results and
continue with life.’’ Odama said.
The Bishop`s statement comes at a time when some politicians who lost in the
recent parliamentary elections in Gulu and Amuru districts have protested the
results citing irregularities by the Electoral Commission and their opponents.
The Cleric also asked those that were victorious to avoid political differences
but instead work for both their political rivals and those that did not support
citing that they were exercising their constitutional rights.
//Cue in: ‘’in an election…
Cue out: …vote for them.’’//
In the last one week, the Electoral Commission conducted Presidential, Parliamentary
and Local Government council elections.
Before the elections, the country experienced waves of violence
between opposition candidates and security agencies.
More than 50 lives were lost and hundreds of people injured or arrested.
Elders in Acholi under the ''Wang OO'' earlier said that the
violence witnessed during the election processes poses unprecedented waves of
violence.
Emmy Daniel Ojara
Freelancer