Outgoing prime minister Gordon Darcy Lilo says he accepted his shocking election defeat.
Lilo, a heavy weight in the Gizo/Kolombangara contest, was unseated in a dramatic election upset that took the nation by surprise.
“This is an election, it’s anyone’s game. I’ve accepted the outcome and would like to congratulate Jimson Fiau Tanangada on his victory,” Lilo told the Sunday Star from his home village at Kolombangara, on Saturday.
“I know my election defeat has been at the centre of every discussion, especially on social media,” he added.
“But what I can say to those accusing me on social media of all kinds of allegations is that I lose cleanly.
“I’ve done nothing wrong during my campaign. My losing the Gizo/Kolombangara seat is the people’s decision so I have to respect it,” Lilo said.
Lilo served in parliament for the last three terms, holding several ministerial positions before becoming the nation’s prime minister in 2011.
He said the results from last Wednesday’s polls proved he still maintained the same number of voters who backed his 2010 election victory.
Lilo lamented the late arrival of M.V Maetalau, which carried a good number of his supporters, to Kolombangara on the eve of last Wednesday’s polls.
He said had they arrived in time and cast their votes, the results would have been different.
“Let me, however congratulate my nephew Jimson who will represent our people of Gizo/Kolombangara in the next parliament.”
For now, he said he’ll be focusing on private business matters and work quietly on them.
Lilo was the co-founder and president of the Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement (SIPRA).
BY BRADFORD THEONOMI
