By Sulaiman Jalloh
In a move to foster and strengthen democracy and to hold government accountable through critics in Sierra Leone, the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party Parliamentary Group, in collaboration with its National Officers, has announced the launch of a monthly press conference series starting in May 2024.
In a press release from its parliamentary group dated, April 30th, 2024, the party acknowledges the country’s current state of governance, economy, and social welfare, bothering the citizenry and therefore promised to utilize these press conferences to keep citizens engaged on pressing national challenges.
“The APC acknowledges the dire state of governance, economy, and social afflictions bothering the citizenry and therefore seeks to keep the public informed and actively engaged in the myriad pressing challenges facing the nation” the release stated, saying the initiative is designed to enhance communication between the party and the general public, to foster transparency in governance, to articulate the party’s position on critical national issues, as well as to hold the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) government accountable on its responsibilities to the nation. It pointed that the monthly press conference will serve as a platform to provide updates on parliamentary activities, including legislative challenges.
According to Hon. Abdul Kargbo, the APC Leader in Parliament, starting this May, each session of the press conference will feature insights from former government ministers and various experts who will offer alternative solutions and perspectives on critical national matters.
“Ultimately, the APC monthly press conference will not only enrich public discourse, but will also promote deeper understanding of the policy alternatives and governance strategies proposed by the APC,” Hon. Abdul Kargbo disclosed.
This information has opened a public discussion. Critics and political pundits have welcomed the idea, saying it is a good move taking by the opposition looking at the economic status of the country, it is good to criticized government using such means and platform. The APC MPs and the party earlier boycotted parliament and other elected positions for what the party refer to as unfair June 2023 election last year. The release however, did not indicate how long the monthly press briefing will last and the venue for the conference.
Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on Friday, May 6TH, 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
