Sierra Leone Parliament Approves New NEC Commissioner Despite Opposition Rejection
Guest Contributor After a particular lengthy debate, Parliament yesterday approved Mrs. Zainab Moseray as the new Electoral Commissioner for the Western Area.
Awoko reports that the very heated debate had started from the Committee of appointments where the APC members outrightly opposed her nomination along with the NGC Leader in Parliament who though absent, did send in a text message outlining his dissenting position.
The main complaint had come from the Consortium of Opposition Political Parties who argued firstly that the President did not follow the dictates of the constitution and did not consult with all the political parties before the appointment was made. Secondly that she should be investigated for corruption and thirdly that she had worked in an acting capacity as Registrar at the PPRC for ten years, which they said showed that the government did not have confidence in her to hold the substantive position.
The Leader of Government business who chaired the session read out a letter from the Anti-Corruption Commission stating outrightly that they have found no issue of corruption in the complaints lodged and that the file has been closed and the matter transferred to the prevention section for consideration.
In the Well of Parliament the arguments became more spirited and the Opposition Leader Hon. Chernor Maju Bah added that people living around Zainab’s residence in Congo Town where alleging that she and her family were involved with the SLPP.
After the heated arguments the APC walked out, followed by the NGC and at least One C4C Member of Parliament.
The remaining C4C members including their leader in parliament who had admitted that contrary to other submissions, the C4C party had been consulted for the appointment statin that the nominees credibility was a “white as a virgin sheet of paper;” joined the other SLPP members to vote with their voices for the nominee to be approved.