By: James Kamara-Manneh
The Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) has on the 3rd November 2022 held fruitful conversations with pressmen about recent happenings surrounding the commission.
Speaking to the press, the Chairman of the Commission Abdullai Bangura said the main issue was to talk about the All People’s Congress (APC) party which is the main opposition, citing further that their activities is a threat to national security and they may not contest the June 2023 elections.
He said as the 2023 election is fast approaching the commission is expecting the APC to have put their house in order, but that is proving otherwise.
Mr. Bangura said being charged with the mandate to regulate the operations of all political parties they are very concerned with the unstable condition of the APC which is a cause for concern.
He confidently said if what is happening now with the party is not put under control there is likelihood that they will not be able to put up a strong challenge against the ruling SLPP party come 2023 general election.
He said the main opposition party is politically divided and if that is not curtailed internally it will cost the party and will affect their smooth functioning in the next election. He added that the internal wrangling if not controlled others within the party will put the blame squarely on ITGC as a committee.
Commissioner Bangura said with the frequent meeting held with the main opposition he has informed them that they have huge responsibility conferred on them, and if they fail the party the blame will lie on every member of the committee.
Another reason tabled is that until the APC must conduct their lower-level elections and the national delegate conference when the regular body of the Party could have been constituted and they have failed to meet these requirements.
He said all in the ITGC committee will bear the responsibility.
Bangura said he is envisaging that the APC will not contest in the 2023 election rather as the main opposition party even when the election was announced one year before the election date to enable all political parties to organize themselves and participate effectively in the election.
He said the IGTC either by omission or deliberately undermining the chances of the main opposition to effectively compete in the forthcoming election.
“The IGTC have a responsibility to the membership of the party, they do not own the party it is owned by the ordinary Sierra Leonean, while the big guns are clamoring for positions because of the political capital of the party”, he said.
He urged the IGTC to be respectful to the membership of the party and then shift grounds to create a meeting point where the interest of the party will be put forward.
He said considering the gullibility of the citizen which caused the recent insurrection on the 10 August 2022, he further affirmed that if the APC continue to undermine the chances to participate in the 2023 elections they will not want to own up to their failures rather they will to want to hinge the blame on someone else- government, PPRC or ECSL.
“And those gullible members will want to believe what they have heard and if they feel negative about it; that may cause or threaten the security of the state”, he explained.
The commission also abreast the press on the Public Election Bill that is before the parliament and its progress, constitutional change and many others.