SPEAKER SAYS THE COMPOSITION OF PARLIAMENT IS INCOMPLETE
26/04/18: Newly elected Speaker of the Parliament of Sierra Leone, the Right Hon. Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu has on Thursday 26th April 2018 called on the large opposition bloc of the All Peoples Congress Party to reason and come forward to subscribe to the Oath of Office for MPs, before they could enter their official duties in the House. He also said that “it behooves them to do so because it is a duty they owed to both their constituents and the country”, whilst speaking on the incompleteness of the House, in respect of its composition.
Pursuant to Standing Order 3 in the rules of the House’s procedures, Dr. Bundu has allocated seats in Parliament, whereby SLPP (the ruling party), C4C, and the PCMPs would occupy the Right, and the APC (the largest opposition party), NGC, and Independent MPs will occupy the Left.
The Committee of Selection, chaired by the Speaker has been announced and ratified by Parliament, including the Speaker, Leader of Government Business (SLPP) Hon. Mohamed Sidi Tunis, Leader of the Opposition (APC), Hon. Saa Emerson Lamina (C4C), Hon. Alhaji Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella (NGC), Hon. PC Alie B. Marrah III, Hon. Quintin Salia Konneh (Independent), Hon. Veronica K. Sesay (SLPP), and the Clerk of Parliament, Hon. Umar Paran Tarawally is the Secretary.
The Committee of Selection appoints MPs into various Committees in the House, subject to approval, and also supervises the conduct of those Committees in the discharge of their duties.
The Hon. Speaker has also recognized the Leadership of Parliament in the persons of Hon. Mohamed Sidi Tunis (Leader of Government Business), Hon. Mathew Nyuma (Deputy Leader of Government Business), Hon. Dickson Rogers (Chief Whip), Hon. Alusine Kanneh (Deputy Chief Whip), Hon. Sahr Emmerson Lamina (Leader of C4C), Hon. Dr. Alhaji Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella (Leader of NGC) amongst others.
Clerk of Parliament, Hon. Paran Tarawally also reiterated calls to “MPs designate to take the oath of office as he has started taking attendance for MPs”.
At the first sitting of the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone on 25th April 2018, under a Presidential Proclamation by Retired Brigadier, Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, both Hon. Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu, and Hon. Sengepoh Solomon Thomas were duly elected respectively as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Sierra Leone, in the absence of APC, the main opposition Party.
The National Grand Coalition, headed by Alhaji Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella abstained from voting on the grounds of “constitutional breaches and the treatment meted out to APC MPs designate”.
©Sheku Lamin Turay
Senior PRO
Parliament of Sierra Leone 
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