UPDF vows to respect 2011 election results

Mar 01, 2010

The army will respect the decision of Ugandans in the 2011 elections, according to the UPDF deputy head of the directorate of human rights, Maj. Charles Angulu Wacha.

By Patrick Jaramogi

The army will respect the decision of Ugandans in the 2011 elections, according to the UPDF deputy head of the directorate of human rights, Maj. Charles Angulu Wacha.

“The will of the people will prevail. Whoever is elected as president come 2011 will be respected by the army. All UPDF officers are supposed to salute that person,”
Wacha said yesterday.

Wacha was speaking at a three-day civic engagement workshop organised by the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) at the White House in Bombo Barracks.

“We have discussed this at all levels. Even the Chief of Defence Forces has told us to respect the will of the people. So no Ugandan should get worried,” Wacha explained in an interview after the workshop.

He added that just like any other citizen, the army officers will exercise their right to vote but will not engage in partisan politics.

“The Constitution stipulates our role. We are entitled to vote but we cannot engage in partisan politics,” he said.

The workshop, which discussed human rights in the democratisation processes, attracted over 100 senior army officers from the land forces.

UHRC secretary Gordon Mwesigye said the objective of the workshop was to sensitise the officers on the need to promote and ensure protection of human rights.

“We need tolerance and peaceful co-existence to live in harmony despite our religions, ethnicity, age and disabilities,” he said.

He reiterated the need for the army to encourage peaceful living to strengthen democracy.

“Dialogue instead of the gun should be used to address disputes. Reconciliation is needed to ensure peace. Without peace, we can never think of democracy and development,” Mwesigye said.

He observed that as much as the officers have a duty to respect orders from their bosses, they should be candid during the 2011 elections and ensure that the directives of their superiors do not over-ride the rights of the citizens.

Mwesigye said the workshop will also promote peace and tolerance among security agencies.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});