By Sulaiman Jalloh
Chernor Bah, the Minister of Information and Civic Education has disclosed that the electoral reform committee set up by the President Julius Maada Bio government and the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party has no power to conduct elections in the country, noting that the committee cannot investigate the June 2023 elections and that citizens should only expect elections in 2028.
The Information Minister was speaking during his ministry’s weekly press briefing on Tuesday, January 30th, 2024, at the conference hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
According to the Minister, Dr. David MoninaSengeh, the country’s chief minister and Dr. Samura Kamara, the former presidential candidate of APC, signed a peace agreement which provided for, among other things, the establishment of a cross-party committee on electoral system and management review. He said the committee is to examine the electoral structures and practices of the 2023 multitier electoral cycle.
The Information Minister continued that the main function of the cross-party committee on electoral system and management review is to enhance the credibility of future elections in the country.
In another development, Minister Bah disclosed that, since the increment of electricity tariff, the government has been meeting its obligations by paying fifty billion Leones on a monthly basis to Karpowership since last year. He acknowledged that the government owes the management of Karpowership, while disclosing that the Ministry of Finance is in engagement with the private electricity outfit to pay the arrears and has in fact made the first disbursement.
Minister Chernoh Bah assured citizens that the country is not in any situation of electricity shortage in the couple of months to come.
The Information Minister was making clarifications on rumors that Karpowership is to shutdown and that there will be elections in March this year.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday, February 5th, 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)