Review of Sierra Leone media reports

 

Review of Sierra Leone media reports

 

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, July 3, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ — [Disclaimer: Excerpts below are from print media and news agency dispatches. UNIOSIL cannot vouch for the accuracy of the media reports].

 

Opposition parties call for military deployment in Tongo

Opposition political parties have reportedly called on the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) to facilitate and expedite the deployment of the military in the diamond mining town of Tongo in the Kenema District. The statement was made by officials of the opposition SLPP and PMDC at a mediation forum organized by the PPRC for rival parties on Tuesday, following recent disturbances in the area. A PMDC aspirant underscored that polling would only be peaceful in Tongo with the presence of military personnel. “We don’t want further confrontation in our locality. During the war, we suffered so much and up until now, most people have not recovered what we lost” Concord Times quotes the PMDC contestant as saying.

 

President Ernest Koroma pleads for peaceful Local Government Election

President Ernest Koroma has in a nation-wide broadcast appealed to Sierra Leoneans to undertake their civic responsibility of voting in the upcoming Local Government Election in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, Awareness Times writes. President Koroma who has just returned from the African Union Summit said Sierra Leone has acquired international reputation for conducting transparent, fair and credible elections and urged for that recognition to be upheld and maintained in the 5 July local council election. “On election day let us demonstrate that we are a peaceful nation,” he is quoted as saying. He pleaded to Sierra Leoneans to cast their votes and wait for the results in peace and tranquility so that the democratic gains the country had made would not unnecessarily be reversed.

 

SLPP threatens fire for fire

The Secretary General of the opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), Jacob Jusu Safa, has reportedly told journalists at a press briefing in their party headquarters in Freetown that his party was prepared to return fire for fire if the All Peoples Congress (APC) continues to harass and intimidate their supporters. Mr. Jacob Saffa complained of frequent attacks and intimidation of their supporters in Kono and Tongo especially; a situation he described as unhealthy for the democratic dispensation in the country. He said they had received intelligence report of plans by the APC to rig the elections and that the APC intends to bribe NEC officials, kidnap SLPP top executives and in the worst case scenario disrupt the elections in areas they thought they would not win. He also accused the Police of conspiring with the APC, noting that the International Community, including the UN had also raised concern over Victor Foh, APC Secretary General, denied the allegations, which he said were meant to give the APC a bad name. The Exclusive, Awoko, Concord Times and Concord Times report.

 

SLPP accused of planning to disrupt APC rally today

The APC We Yone
reports that the SLPP have plans to disrupt the APC grand rally today. The report states that the SLPP had hired ex-combatants as mercenaries, who would disguise as APC and embark on acts of violence and disorder, such as obstructing the free-flow of traffic, use of abusive language, pick-pocketing and attacking business people. The National Organizing Secretary of the APC has however cautioned party supporters to be vigilant and clamp down on anyone involved in such acts of misconduct and taken to the police.

 

 

 

 

Youths determine to expose election fraudsters

Youths of Banana Water (a notorious hide out for criminals) have reportedly determined to bring forth any one who seeks refugee in their community after committing offenses related to the electoral process. This disclosure was made by the Vice Chairman of the Banana Water Youths Development Association, during a non-violence seminar they held in respect of the up-coming elections. The Vice Chairman also revealed that the community is now free of drug addicts and other anti-social practices due to the advocacy undertaken by the Association in recent times, reports Life Herald.

(Compiled by UNIOSIL, Public Information Office)

SOURCE : UNIOSIL, Public Information Office