By Sulaiman Jalloh
Government & opposition leaders holding hands, signalling national unity
The ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) led government and the main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) has, through a joint press statement issued out during a meeting held at the Brookfields Hotel in Freetown, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, announced their continued commitment to working together in interest of electoral justice, electoral reforms, peace and national cohesion.
According to the statement, both parties reaffirmed their continued commitment to the implementation of resolution three of the agreement of national unity which is the Tripartite Committee. “The committee’s mandate is to examine the electoral systems, structures and processes of the 2023 multi-tire electoral cycle,” excerpts of the press release states, adding that the committee would be informed by previous elections with a view of highlighting and addressing the contentious issues of elections and results management including the collation, verification, authentication and publishing of electoral data with international best practices, something they said, will enhance credibility in future elections in the country.
Both the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) and the opposition APC emphasized their commitment towards progress and future steps, saying the Tripartite Committee has made a significant progress over the past months including the completion of the Terms of Reference (TOR), developing ‘key’ documents, the engagement of stakeholders and international partners and that the final stage is at work while promising citizens for the soonest completion and to present a comprehensive report to His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio.
The joint statement also indicated that both GoSL and the main opposition APC are determined to strengthen inclusive democracy in the country and are looking forward to the implementation of the recommendations and reforms of the Tripartite Committee, something going forward both believe, will play an integral role to enhancing the conduct of elections in a free, fair and transparent manner. “The GoSL and the APC believe that these efforts will contribute to the continued development and stability of the nation,” excerpts of the press release further states.
The two main political parties concluded by reiterating their unwavering commitment to peace, electoral justice, national cohesion while strongly condemning any attempts to incite violence or disrupt the democratic process of the African country emphasizing the commitment to the full implementation of all the resolutions agreed for national unity. Also, both the SLPP and the main opposition APC appreciated all parties involved in the process of national unity and progress including international partners.
It could be recalled that the Tripartite Committee came into being following a three-day dialogue that was mediated by the Independent Peace for National Cohesion (IPNC), the ECOWAS and African Union in October 2023, after the APC had decided not to participate in governance, claiming that the 2023 general elections were marred by what it described as glaring irregularities and violations of established electoral procedures.
Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on Friday, June 21th , 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
