By Esther Wright
Standard flag bearer for the Republic National Independent Party (ReNIP) continues with his soloist campaign and advocacy urging the Government and the various political actors to speedily activate the Proportional Representation system ahead of the 2023 elections.
According to Beresford Williams, proportional representation will greatly help the political divide in the country thereby creating the enabling and supporting environment for political parties to have direct contribution into the day to day running of the State.
“Proportional Representation is the only remedy for Sierra Leoneans,” he revealed, “It will ease the partisan and regional tension and violence in the country,” he revealed.
“It will also help us as a nation to reshape, restructure and rearrange the country for the betterment of generation yet unborn,” he underscored.
The 2018 Flagbearer, who pulled significant amount of votes in the multitier elections, has being reaching to colleague politicians to help propagate and educate their constituents on the significance of the PR system which he disclosed will help to transform and build the country’s democracy to higher heights.
“The dominance of the Sierra Leone People’s Party and the All People’s Congress party in the political landscape of Sierra Leone should be a thing of the past if the introduction of the PR is utilized during the 2023 elections,” he averred.
“We are calling and urging our political friends in the struggle to massively help in the educational process on the beauty of the PR system which is happily implemented in other African countries without any hindrances or political problems,” he maintained.
The Republic Independent Party, according to the Leader and Chairman, will continue with its engagement with the various political stakeholders in the country to see reasons on how Sierra Leone will join other countries in the world for the PR system.
A political commentator who spoke to this medium applauded the creativities and initiatives by the Republic Independent Party for such a brilliant and clever on national issues which will change the political atmosphere in the country.
“Proportional Representation will be good for Sierra Leone,” he said, “It will help eschew the political divide and encourage minority groups to feel belonged to the daily participation in State matters,” he pointed out.
Sources close to the Bio administration reveal to this medium that Proportional Representation is one of the several reforms the Government is trying to implement ahead of the 2023 elections which will open the political space and participation for other political parties to partake in Parliamentary and Local Government elections.
The Government, National Electoral Commission, Political Parties Registration Commission and the several election bodies in the country will set out the criteria as to the percentage (s) political parties will have before being qualified into the process.
Another beauty about the PR system is that the National Electoral Commission will not be involved in organizing bye-elections which will greatly help the Government to save huge sums of money and that the Government will stop to appoint sitting Members of Parliament to cabinet positions or other political appointments.
“Once you relinquish your seats as Members of Parliament or Local Councils the person second to you in the election will automatically qualify to succeed you,” he said.
