2 Years Jail for Paramount Chiefs
Individuals aspiring to be paramount chiefs in the forthcoming elections and who have been found of harboring or setting up a camp to feed supporters will be punished with a two year imprisonment and a fine of five million Leones. Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Local Government and Rural Development in an interview revealed to Sierra Express Media.
In an interview with Minister Raymond Kabia, he said the 1991 National Constitution mandated the enactment of a legislature that addresses the functions and activities of Paramount Chiefs. “The way and manner paramount chieftaincy elections were conducted has brought down the credibility of paramount chiefs,” the Minister said and expressed confidence that government will provide the level field for all to contest for their right.
Mr. Kabia also revealed that a declaration fee of hundred and fifty thousand Leones must be paid by all candidates opting for the staff and said the fee is nonrefundable.
Mr. Raymond Kabia, recently returned from a nation wide sensitization tour together with Chief National Electoral Commissioner Dr. Thorpe during which they held a series of briefings with chiefdom councilors and other stakeholders based on the soon to be conducted elections for paramount chiefs in chiefdoms in the country where vacancies exist.
The tour included calls to all district headquarter towns in the country, all in an effort to explain about the new Paramount Chieftaincy Act of September 2009.
Earlier during the tour, the Deputy Minster had during a press briefing in the Southern city of Bo in attendance with Dr. Thorpe stated that the conduction of paramount chieftaincy elections is the sole responsibility of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Local Government and Rural Development and the National Election Commission. “Candidates must hail from recognized ruling Houses established on or before April 1961,” he said and further stated that the revision of the chiefdom councillor’s gazette list will be based on the latest gazette of chiefdom councillors and the 2009 tax payers.
 The minister called on officials engaged in the revision of chiefdom councillor’s list, including chiefdom authorities, to encourage women to become chiefdom councillors “because women constitute 50 percent of the voting population,”
And warned government officials and ministers not to promote any candidate of their choice, and said it is an offence punishable by law.
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