Parliament was in total chaos yesterday as ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party ( SLPP) supporters stormed the chambers in a show of force to intimidate members of parliament of the opposition to cave in and help pass the controversial Public Elections Act 2022.
Tension escalated at the adjournment of sittings after a very contentious debate during which the opposition , led by Hon. Chernor Maju Bah ( Chericoco ) provided stiff opposition to the bill. SLPP thugs attacked members of the opposition All People’s Congress ( APC ). An MP, Honorable Alu Conteh of the APC representing Constituency 125, was left in a coma, lying helplessly on the ground and fighting for his life, after being stoned by SLPP thugs. Readers can see the photos and news flash reports sent in by Citizen journalists on the scene.
It must be recalled that the Parliament of Sierra Leone has been extensively debating the bill entitled “The Public Elections Act 2022”.
The Public Election Act 2022, seeks to repeal and replace the Public Election Act, 2022 (Act No.4 of 2012), to provide for supplementary provisions to sections 32 and 33 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone 1991 (Act No. 6 of 1991).
When he presented the bill, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohamed Lamin Tarawally Esq. said the bill was necessary and went on to highlight the importance and powers of the document relative to voting, elections, registration, technology, and electoral offences amongst others. But legal scholars, independent journalists, civil society officials, parliamentarians and politicians describe the bill as dangerous and a ploy by President Bio to give himself an easy ride to a second term.
The bill needs a two-thirds majority of Parliament to pass it.
A citizen journalist wrote the following analysis of the bill :
A SYNOPSIS OF THE BAD LAWS THE SLPP WANT TO HASTILY PASS IN PARLIAMENT IN THE PROPOSED BILLS.
By: Jonah
1. They want to change the single member constituency representation which allow a person with the highest votes to represent the people in the constituency to a PR system that remove power from the people and give it to the political parties. ( That is not democracy and such system works where there are no existing constituency)
2. To register for the coming NEC voters registration process someone should have a NIN number from NCRA.
3. NEC should have the right to allow further voters registration in area where it think registration of voters is under the expected number even when the proposed time for voters registration has ended ( they want to compare the registration in the opposition stronghold to the stronghold of the incumbent, and if the former surpasses the latter NEC will instruct to do more registration to the stronghold of the SLPP fraudulently)
4. The president should have the power to CHANGE the chief electoral commissioner at any time he wish even in the middle of the elections ( that is, if he noticed the that elections are not in his favor even a day before results are to be announced, he can change the chief electoral commissioner and appoint anyone who can dance to his tune)
5. All electoral commissioners must be 65 years and above ( the catchy thing is, that age is an age where someone don’t care to do any wrong to a nation, because one can do any odd to suit himself or set of people with little or no consideration, but when someone is at a younger age, he or she will be considerate and will not allow to be used by selfish politicians, because he/she has a long way to go)
6. On the PPRC bill, the name will be changed from the already known Political Parties Registration Commission to POLITICAL PARTIES REGULATORY COMMISSION. This is to see that all political parties are fully regulated by this institution and will be having the right to dictate the activities of any political parties and or ban a party as and when the PPRC deem it fit ( This is the way they want to accomplish their utmost mission, i.e killing targeted political parties, they have succeeded in destabilizing the ADP of Kamarainba, they have muted C4C and now endangering the APC, this is the tyrannical way of bringing a one party state).
They also furthered in the PPRC bill that any political party that breach any of the laws will be banned by the PPRC, this draconian law will even make if a party slate 4 days for their convention and it takes 3 days is liable to be banned by PPRC.
7. In the electoral act to be amended, it is also stated that the NEC commissioner will be having the right to cancel any polling station, any polling center and even an entire district votes where any riot or fighting emanates during the polling process. ( The incumbent planned to send thugs and cause mayhem in the opposition stronghold so that such low will be implemented)
More to come my Sierra Leone people, this is why they want to rush this bill, we really need to stand tall as a nation and say no to this bill that has the tendency for a tyrannical state, our democracy is slowly going down to the drains.
This is what they don’t want the opposition MPs to sell out to the people of the country.
Honorable Alu Conteh of the APC representing Constituency 125, was attacked by SLPP thugs few minutes ago inside Parliament building….. He’s unconscious n fighting for his life….
This SLPP government is the worse mistake this nation has ever made since Independence
Don’t Be Surprised If You Heard The Demise Of APC MP Hon. Alusine Conteh Of Constituency 125
For The Attention of the International Community
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Hon. Alusine Conteh is in a critical condition after SLPP darkened the well of parliament with thugs regarding procedural and constitutional matters. In that vein, he was heated with a heavy stone by one of their boys, this is a clear indication that the government is provoking the state to another civil unrest.
How can the government allow stones and other harmful weapons in the house of parliament? The country is in total terror and misuse of state powers.
The SLPP party is not the owner of the state but rather prefers to unleash terror and another national disaster. This is a matter of urgency for the diplomatic missions in Sierra Leone to step up for democracy to flourish. The current attitude of this regime is becoming new and strange in 21st-century administrative governance.
If we receive news that Hon. Alusine Conteh is dead don’t be surprised.
In that light, party stakeholders must be mindful that they are planning to disturb the 2023 elections winning. Whosoever is planning to petition the APC election rules must be mindful, otherwise, the APC will be in a difficult state. Let’s be wise and handle our situation with care and respect.
The 5th of July 2022 has gone down the annals of the state.
The arbitrary harassment of opposition MPs, by thugs in the Sierra Leone Parliament, is a complete disrespect to those calling themselves State securities, allowing hooligans to take on Lawmakers.
I will not forever forgive the current Parliamentary Administrator If action is not taken to stop this entire absurdity and lunacy, and bring to book the perpetrators…
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