The Anti Violence Movement and the National Youth Commission yesterday denounced political parties for claiming strongholds across the country which they described as a way of intimidating opponents during elections.
The youth groups said they have identified “the culture of political strongholds” as one of the main factors responsible for political and social intolerance in the country which, according to the groups, most times led to the outbreak of political violence.
The Director of the Anti-Violence Movement, Bernard Conteh said, “No political party has a strong hold in the country as there is no region, district or chiefdom that belongs solely to any one political party in the country.” He stressed that preaching political strong holds can lead to divide and rule.
He called on security apparatuses in the country to immediately respond to the subject of strongholds which has the propensity of regions breaking away from the central government.
Mr. Conteh went on to state that political parties have the moral right to campaign in any part of the country claimed to be a strong hold of any other political party.
He said the issue of having APC strongholds in the North and Western Area and the SLPP in the South and East of the country, have the tendency to scare away other political parties from carrying out their political activities in those areas.
The National Secretary General of the National Youth Commission, Salieu A. B. Kargbo urged law enforcement authorities in the country to bring to book any individual or political party who attempts to deny a group of political party activists from travelling to certain parts of the country in the name of strong hold.
He disclosed that they intend organizing a nationwide sensitization campaign on the dangers of political strongholds or ‘Na My Area’ syndrome in politics through debates, symposia and visitations to political parties and perceived strongholds of these political parties to preach tolerance of one another.
By Saidu Bah
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