By Theresa Vamboi
The Rt. Hon. Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu, Speaker of Parliament, has on Wednesday 13th November 2019 heartily received the new Executive of the All Political Parties Association (APPA) who later presented their Peace Communiqué on Cohesion for National Development at the Speaker’s Board Room in Parliament.
During the courtesy call, the Speaker assured the Association of his support, adding that he was a member of the Association sometime in the 90s. “During the 1996 transition from military to a civilian administration, APPA played an active role in the promotion of democracy and good governance,” he revealed. He commended APPA for their continued support in upholding the values and tenets of democracy. “You can count on us as a Parliament to help your association in the promotion of democracy and good governance of the State,” he assured. He also noted that democracy is the bedrock on which APPA was established and underscored the need for all political parties to come together and develop Sierra Leone. “We want to see our country lifted from the bottom of the human development index to the top,” and admonished APPA to have a rethink and desist forthwith from any form of electoral violence.
Also, in supporting the position of the Speaker, the Leader of Government Business, Hon. Sidie M. Tunis told APPA that he had already informed President Bio about the new Executive and that he was pleased to hear the good news about APPA.
Earlier, the Public Relations Officer of APPA, Gibril Thullah presented their newly elected Executive to the Speaker, stating that they comprise 12 registered political parties. The PRO pleaded to the Speaker to foster their collaborative relationship with the current Government. “We used to enjoy certain opportunities from the previous regime and we want your Government to operate on that platform,” he maintained.
The Chairman of APPA, Prince Coker called on the Speaker to help them popularize the Communiqué across the country, saying that such an effort would yield more political dividends in light of national cohesion. He called on the Speaker to celebrate the upcoming festive season with the Association together with President Bio in order to showcase political tolerance and national cohesion in the country.
