Parliament Issues New Directives for Visitors
Salamatu Y. Kamara Sierra Leone’s Parliament through the office of the Clerk have issued a public notice on visiting guidelines to the precincts of Parliament.
The notice states that all visitors must adhere to the guidelines.
It is stated that all visitors who want to access the house should be in formal dresses to gain access into the house and should present formal identification including passport, national identity card or driver’s license.
It is also stated that visitors should sign a Visitors Book and leave their identity with an Officer of the House who will provide them a visitor’s tag, and will receive their identity upon returning the tag after visitations.
According to the notice, only Ministers, Diplomats, Journalists and Representatives from Civil Society Organizations are allowed to enter the Chamber of Parliament with their phones, while other persons would have to leave it at the Main Entrance and their phones will be given to them thereafter.
The above measures will take effect on the Thursday 31 October, 2024.
These new measures are aimed at strengthening security around the precincts of Parliament and not in anyway whatsoever intended to bar citizens and non-citizens from gaining access to the Parliament of Sierra Leone.
Following a communique signed by Parliament and Civil Society Organizations, they have been added to the exemption clause of entering the Chamber of Parliament with their phones.