By Foday Moriba Conteh
Newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) of the main opposition APC Party, on Wednesday 5th July, 2023, signed a public notice in support of their party’s position not to take part in State Governance until their demands are met. That non-participation decision emanated from a resolution adopted by the APC’s National Advisory Committee (NAC) as expressed in a Press Release dated 30th June, 2023.
It was made crystal clear in the resolution that the party and its representatives would not be involved in any governance process in Sierra Leone. The resolution was later endorsed by elected APC Members of Parliament who unanimously supported the stance and have pledged not to participate in the 6th Parliament of Sierra Leone until the party’s demands are met.
The APC Mayors and Chairpersons of Local Councils elected have likewise also pledged to refrain from participating in the local governance of Sierra Leone.
It must be noted that this unprecedented action by the APC’s elected officials has raised questions about the future functioning of Sierra Leone’s governance system and what this means for the country’s political future.
In a Public Notice issued by the elected representatives it was stated that whereas the National Advisory Committee of the All Peoples Congress (APC) had resolved at a meeting held on Friday 30th June 2023 (and as contained in the Party’s Press Release of instant date) that the Party and its elected representatives SHALL NOT participate at all levels of governance in Sierra Leone they, the elected representatives of the Party, for Parliament, hereby wholeheartedly endorse the Party’s position.
They furthered that: “We shall not participate in the 6th Parliament of Sierra Leone in line with the resolution of the Party, referred to above, until the demands of the Party are fully met.”
