The Political Parties Registration Commission PPRC has settled the impasse between the All Peoples Congress (APC) and the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) in Mile 91, Tonkolili District.
During the regional tour, the Commission held a meeting with both parties at the Conference Hall of Radio Gbafth 91.0 FM.
Both parties explained their grievances and the issue of animosity and hostility that led to the violence. At the end, the parties discussed and adopted a resolution that the parties should work for tolerance and peace to reign in Mile 91.
After deliberations, it was decided that both parties should meet and come out with a resolution which includes; parties should denounce intimidation, violence and provocation during their rallies, campaigns or during radio programmes.
They would also work in cohesion after the election, so that the winner and the losers, would come together and work in the interest of peace and for the good and development of the township.
Furthermore, as a demonstration of peace and tolerance, both parties agreed to hold a radio discussion programme to educate their supporters on the need for tolerance and peace and to denounce violence of any kind. In collaboration with the PPRC, a peace rally will be organized in which the surrounding towns will be invited as a demonstration of peace and tolerance. They are to rally across the township of Mile 91 and in the end make commitments to the Unity and Peace amongst the party supporters in Mile 91.
However, they agreed to maintain the peace by communicating with each other and exchanged phone numbers. They also agreed to work with the police and called on the police to be impartial and independent in dispensing their duties.
They further committed themselves to work with the PPRC and the community radio to ensure that peace is sustained.
They further agreed that a Committee is to be set up comprising all political parties, PPRC, SLP and the community radio.
This committee should work out modalities for voter education, polling day and counting and to address and manage post election issues and the need to maintain peace and tolerate one another after the elections.
At the end of the meeting, both parties agreed to withdraw the pending cases in the police and court against one another, in the interest of peace.
The meeting ended with commitments to fully adhere and support the implementation of the document.
Meanwhile, the Commission has completed a regional tour of Makeni, Bo, Kenema and Kono. The tour was used as an opportunity to remind Political Parties of their responsibilities and to also get first hand information on the electoral challenges faced by Political Parties.
In his statement, the Chairman Hon. Justice M.E. Tolla Thompson, reminded all present of the mandate of the Commission. The commission’s work he says is enormous, as the commission monitors, supervises and regulates the conduct of Political Parties.
He says it is the concern of the commission that most people do not know the role of the commission.
The commission, he says, is established to ensure that it monitors every activity of the political parties.
Political Parties, he said, are not formed only for elections but institutions that should always exist. Political education, he says, should be the responsibilities of Political Parties. “Election is not a battle of fist but a contest of ideas” he added. Everyone he says should be given the free will to belong to whatever party he or she wants to belong to.
During the tour, it was clear that the APC and the SLPP in most cases violate the campaign calendar and both parties were always in conflict with each other.
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