The Main opposition party, SLPP is determined to end all its internal electioneering process on the 31st October 2016, according to the Acting Public Relation Officer, Rtd. Lt. Lahai Leema. “That will usher in the flag bearer race and once we are able to get our flag bear and proper executive structure then the party is set to take over governance in 2018”, he said.
The Acting Public Relations Officer said, according to the initial time table issued by NEC, they were supposed to have completed the Lower Level election and gone further in to the Party National Delegates Conference on or before 31st August but because the process seems strange a little they were not able to catch up by that date.
Agued by this reporter that they will not end the process on their new dates because they were not able to finish on their first published date, Leema said “we have learnt from the experiences during the last mandate which was to complete the process on or before the 31st August.”
He said they experienced too much interference during their last mandate stating that in this their new mandate, people who will tend to interfere in order to delay will face the full penalty of the Party disciplinary code of conduct and laws of the land because they are involving the police in all of their elections.
“In our rules and regulations we agreed that certain classes and stakeholders in the Party should not be involved in the process like Member of Parliament, National officer at certain levels among others.”
Explaining further why they were unable to meet their last mandate, he said this is the first time the SLPP is involving the grassroots in to its internal political and democratic election process and the “first time we have heard rules and regulations governing the conduct of election at various levels.”
Leema explained that Lower Level Election is looking at the zonal and Sectional level where in people come together and agree on consensus building as was agreed in a committee meeting at the Political Party Registration Commission, that at the Zonal and Sectional Levels, not concentrating on party membership card, but people who know themselves as members of the Party should come together and appoint somebody who will represent them in various positions stating that “it is cumbersome.”
Nonetheless, “We have almost concluded that in almost all part of the country less few other areas.”
He explained that “because you have to bring people in without identification cards. A lot of disturbances were bound to happen but now that we are almost finishing, the other election is based on membership card so it is easy because at that point you have identified people to take part in the election.”
Leema said once they and the Lower Level Election by the 17th September, 2016 all over the country, the other elections are based on Party Membership Card so it’s easy, straight forward and will finish on time.
By Emmanuella Kallon
Wednesday September 07, 2016