SLPP-NA Condemns Local Council Bye-Election Violence in Tongo Fields (Ward 042)
HOUSTON, TEXAS: The Sierra Leone People’s Party in North America (SLPPNA) strongly condemns violent attacks by agents of the ruling All People’s Congress (APC) on the residents of Tongo Fields who exercised their democratic right to vote into office the candidate of their choice on February 13, 2010. The violent incidents perpetrated by agents of the APC led by the notorious APC thug, Adamu, have led to the unlawful arrests and detention of 41 SLPP supporters and left 80 Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) supporters injured and the home of the SLPP Ward Chairman in Constituency 043 on fire. APC thugs also pelted the opposition Member of Parliament, Hon. Konuwah, with stones and openly and incessantly harassed polling agents, National Elections Commissions (NEC) officials, and taunted Police officers who were seen to be refusing to take orders from APC officials to brutalize perceived SLPP supporters.
We extend our sympathy to the victims of yet another incident of wanton violence fostered on peaceful citizens of Sierra Leone. Their only crime, it seems, is either supporting the opposition political party or identifying themselves with the high tide of disappointment in the country at the APC government’s failures to fulfill its promises of good and productive governance and the guarantee of civil liberties.
We urge Police authorities to expedite the release of all SLPP supporters who were illegally arrested and detained at the command of APC agents and thugs.
Like all foreign missions of Western and sub-regional democracies in Sierra Leone and the United Nations (through its representative in Sierra Leone), we remind the APC government of Sierra Leone and its agents of the obligations incumbent on them to guarantee the civil liberties of citizens and to protect life and property pursuant to all the tenets of good governance.
We therefore urge the APC government of Sierra Leone to:
- pursue and punish the perpetrators of these acts of violence in Tongo Fields;
- free all SLPP party supporters illegally arrested;
- refrain from directly or indirectly making statements that can be construed as incitement to violence and to fully apologize to all victims of violence in Tongo Fields;
- re-affirm, by way of a firm statement from the highest authorities, the government’s commitment to guarantee civil liberties and to restrain their agents and supporters from harassing and brutalizing supporters of opposition parties; and,
-
re-commit to the world community that the government will guarantee that future democratic elections will be free of flagrant violations of elections codes and procedures, violence, harassment, and intimidation of opposition supporters.
Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!
© 2010, https:. All rights reserved.
