By: Aruna Kamara (BO)
The Independent Member of Parliament in Constituency 104 in Pujehun District, Hon Shiaka Sama has said that Proportional Representation will create a lot of problems for the independent candidate, with the utilization of more resources in the electioneering process.
Speaking at the celebration of the International Youth Day in Bo on Friday, Hon. Sama said that up till now they do not know the type of electoral system to be used as they were debating on either the First Past the Post or Proportional representation.
He noted that in the proportional representation, people vote for the political parties, who will send the names of those that will represent the people in the district in parliament.
Hon. Sama advised that the youths should do background check about politicians before voting for them, and further warned not to vote for people base on political parties but what the individual can deliver to the citizenry that will change their lives.
“The PR system has its own disadvantages for the independent candidate as he/she has to spend a lot of resources to tour the districts and to get agents that will be deployed at the polling stations during the polling day, ’’he said.
Hon Sama however said that his constituency covers Malen Chiefdom and part of Sowa Chiefdom and less resources are spent to move around my people and talk to them, which is not the case in the proportional representation.
“If I want to talk to my people I have to spend more resources to move around the district to campaign to my people and more people will be deployed at the polling centres as the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone has increased the number of registration centres and polling centres so that eligible voters will easily access those centres”, he revealed.
He said that apart from getting agents at the polling centres, these agents can be intimidated and leaves the polling stations, much to the disadvantage of the Independent Candidate, and further claimed that in the 2018 elections his polling agent complained of taking his vote and giving it to the other candidate, which he (agent)raised concern about.
Hon Sama, however, said that every electoral system has its own merit and demerit but hope that the PR system will create the space for the independent candidate.
Speaking to A-Z Newspaper, some of the youths in Bo said that they hope the parliamentarians will give us an electoral system that will create a level playing ground for all candidates, particularly the independent candidates, who do not have political alignment.
A youth in Bo, Thomas Conteh said that political parties have great advantage over the independent candidates in the proportional representation but some of the youths will not vote base on party colour but people who have the country at heart, adding that the country comes first.
He noted that if even people are voting base on party line, they must make sure that they vote for a political party that will create the enabling environment for the youths to get their livelihood, as bread and butter issue for the youths are important.
