Ahead of Tomorrow’s By-Elections – Opposition Calls for Police Neutrality

Concord Times (Freetown)

Regina Pratt

27 May 2011

Freetown — Official spokesperson of the main opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) has implored the Sierra Leone police to exhibit a high sense of professionalism and neutrality in policing the conduct of tomorrow’s by-elections in Constituencies 97 in the western urban and 04 in Kailahun district.

Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie, who doubles as SLPP director of communications, equally entreated the National Electoral Commission (NEC) to ensure a level playing field for all candidates. Mr. Tejan-Sie was speaking to Concord Times in an exclusive interview Wednesday at his Pademba Road, Freetown office.

“The police should provide security for all candidates and voters in the two by-elections,” he called.

Asked what his party’s expectations were with regard the two elections, he said “we expect a clear victory in Constituency 04 in Kailahun district because it is our stronghold. For Constituency 97, it is either a win or loss for the party.”

Moreover, the SLPP spokesman called on their party supporters to always keep the peace, as according to him, “it is part of the traditional values of our party”, thus urging them to come out in their numbers and vote to victory their candidates.

Commenting on Tuesday’s interview by Chief Electoral Commissioner Dr. Christiana Thorpe on the SLBC’s Tea Break programme in reaction to a story about alleged ghost voters published in one of the local newspapers, Tejan-Sie said the SLPP was doing all it can to ensure the NEC boss was not in charge of the conduct of the 2012 general elections. He said “there is a matter already in court in that regard”.

“Only a court of law has the power to invalidate votes, not the National Electoral Commission as was the case in 2007,” he insisted, adding that NEC should not act as judge and jury at the same time.

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