Violence In Party Primaries Could Spill Over To General Elections, IPOD Warns
The Inter-Party Organization for Dialogue (IPOD) has condemned the increasing levels of violence and intolerance among political actors and voters especially in the periods preceding elections.
In the past few days, various media outlets have reported a number of incidents of violence including loss of lives in the ongoing primary elections of the various parties especially the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Addressing a press conference in Kampala today, Muhammed Kateregga the Secretary General of Justice Forum (JEEMA) who represented the IPOD chairman said this growing vice is highly regrettable. He said no Ugandan should die while exercising their right to participate in democratic processes.
Kateregga called upon fellow leaders and supporters to desist from all forms of electoral related violence because it undermines the country’s democracy and puts the lives of the citizens at risk.
The IPOD urged all political actors to respect the recently passed political parties and organizations’ amendment act, (2020) which prohibits members, supporters or other persons affiliated to any political party against engaging, encouraging or even involving themselves in violence.
“The IPOD will in due course launch a nationwide campaign to sensitize the masses on the importance of vigilant, issue based and peaceful participation in the elections and why it is every one’s duty as a citizen to shun all forms of electoral violence.” said Kateregga
Speaking at the same presser, Richard Todwong the Deputy Secretary General of the NRM said the party is investigating the reported cases of violence that took place during the recently concluded party primaries and punitive actions are going to be taken against the perpetrators.
“The party leadership has taken it up and we have instituted an inquiry so far we have even got quite a number of petitions from the various districts, the investigations are going on and we can assure Ugandans that punitive actions are going to be taken on culprits. Our members should be calm we know there are quite a number who are aggrieved, we believe that when the process of investigations and attending to the petitions is concluded you will be satisfied with the outcomes” said Todwong
The press conference was also attended by Gerald Siranda the Democratic Party Secretary General, Forum for Democratic Change’s Deputy Secretary General Harold Kaija and Fred Ebil the Secretary General of the Uganda people’s Congress.
