As APC denies agreeing on political rallies ban, citizens condemn PPRC decision and say it will not stop chaos

The All People’s Congress ( APC ) has debunked the assertion by the Political Parties Registration Commission ( PPRC) that all political parties decided for the Commission to ban street rallies during the forthcoming elections. The APC say they were not party to the agreement. They have vowed to defy it and stage street parades during the electioneering campaign.

The PPRC decision is being condemned by Sierra Leoneans.

Yusif Conteh

the Paopa and the SLPP are afraid of 2023 general election why are they fraid

Mychael Conte

No one did, it’s a dictatorship nowadays

SAHR MOKUWAH WRITES

President Bio enjoyed the democratic process under former President Koroma’s administration to go all over the country to campaign in 2012 and 2018 on political rallies without stopping him, he should also allow the current opposition parties flagbears to do similar things.

We are in a democratic world and we must enjoy such facilities…..Dr Samura Kamara should resist against against political intimidation and the international community should guide our general elections with similar efforts in 2018, that gave political power to president Bio, as president of Sierra Leone.

The PPRC’s recent ban of political rallies is as illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional as the Police’s ban of vehicular movement in 2018. Political rally is not a prohibited activity.

MARRAH WRITES

The Supreme Court of Sierra Leone has ruled that fundamental rights cannot be abrogated by press releases or communiqués but by an express law passed by Parliament. (It is this same Supreme Court that has upheld the District Proportional Representation system for the forthcoming elections). It’s lazy leadership to always slam a ban on our problems rather than attempting to confront or solve them. Our leaders have worsened our problems by this age-old habit. You may not like political rallies (the same for me), but you have to respect the right of citizens to exercise their rights and to freely participate in the electoral processes.

Is there a need for proper organisation of these rallies and increased security measures? Certainly! The PPRC and the security sector should instead work with political parties to introduce measures to improve the decorum of political rallies and curtail disorderliness. The answer to lawlessness in political rallies is not ban. If you think it is, wait until you see how supporters converge to the designated centres? They would not suddenly become law-abiding while commuting to these grounds. Lawlessness in political rallies is not addressed by a ban. This is because if you ban lawlessness in political rallies without addressing lawlessness in general in electoral activities, political parties will simply take that lawlessness to the next available electoral activity. This is what happens when you don’t address a problem. It may be dislodged but not extinguish!