DIF-Sierra Leone Director calls for non violent elections
The Executive Director of Disabled International Foundation – Sierra Leone, Imambay Kadi Kamara has told members of her organization to stay free of violence during the conduct of the multitier elections on November 17 this year. (Photo: Waterloo Disabled Youth Group welcoming Imambay Kadi Kamara on her recent arrival in Sierra Leone)
She spoke shortly following her arrival last Thursday in Sierra Leone from London where she is residing, to demonstrate her democratic franchise in her country of birth.
She told persons with disabilities that her statement of non-violence resonated to her first when she visited the county during the registration process. She said PWDs need to abide loyally within the dictates of the law and take ownership of their country by simply being peaceful.
The DIF-SL Director paid tribute to President Koroma for the enactment of the Disability bill into law, which according to her, depicts the level of seriousness the issue deserves. Imambay appeals to all authorities concerned to compliment the government’s effort in giving facelift to issues of people with disabilities, through giving them access to acquire education, give them unfettered accesses to medical care, and public commercial transportation among other things.
She told persons living with disabilities that their rights are enshrined in the constitution to vote as well as it deserves them the right for others to vote for them. She called upon the PWDs to use sound judgment and no sweet tongues of politicians should lure their minds into voting wrong choices as they owe it to their various consciences to vote the country in a direction that will improve the living pattern of her people.
While stamping the negativeness of violence, Imambay said: “I implore you all to come out in your numbers and vote in these historical elections as the world will be watching you make your mark. Don’t put on party colors, make sure you comport yourselves well, obey the laws of the land and orders of the authorities in charge and save yourselves such embarrassment of breaking the laws. To those of you that are visually impaired, I implore you to exercise patience and vote the way the National Electoral Commission (NEC) has stipulated. I know it hurts using another to cast your secret ballots, but since the elections regulatory body, NEC has sanctioned it this way, let us show our tolerance to the spirit of democracy and demonstrate our franchise,” such was her admonition.
The Executive Director was addressing various persons with disabilities across the country from various places such as the capital, Freetown, Waterloo, Lungi, Lunsar, Port Loko and Makeni. “I was in Freetown a few months back during the registration process and I did encourage you to come out in your numbers to register. Today, I’m here again urging you all to stay peaceful during the conduct of the elections on Saturday, November 17, 2012”, she re-echoes.
Campaigning on same thread, DIF-SL’s Program Officer, Robert Kondema Kamara said he was impressed with the turnout, which shows that persons with disabilities took the words of their Director serious. He said while his Director was out of the country he was in charge of coordinating the goals of the organization and it was not in his records that PWDS are involved in violent circumstances throughout the campaigning lifeline.
Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Paralympics lends his voice on the issue of non-violence writing persons with disabilities off its menace. He said they are peaceful citizens and know it for a fact that violence will take Sierra Leone in no better distance than in the path of destruction.
Joseph O’Reilly propounded gratitude to the Director of DIF-SL, Imambay Kadi Kamara as he described her individual support to the Sierra Leone Paralympics team when they arrived for the London games in the London 2012 Paralympics competition. Mr. O’Reilly said disability is not inability as PWDs have equal potentias to other able persons. He called on all PWDs to eschew violence while they exercise their democratic franchise.
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