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Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) has embarked on legal reforms within the last few months to make the Commission more vibrant in its operation.
New Vision Newspaper reports that The legal reforms when endorsed by Parliament will give more powers to the Commission to take actions against defaulting politicians and the political parties.
When approved by Parliament, politicians would be required to pay one hundred million Leones (Le100M) to register a new political party. The Commission also recommended that political parties must register every five years.
The Chairman of PPRC Abdulai Masiyanday Bangura told Sierra Leoneans recently that they want to make politics a serious business for people. The most torching recommendation that has sparked several debates among leaders of the sixteen registered political parties is that nay politician who holds executive position in his/her party must not be appointed Minister, Deputy Minister or head of parastatal.
The Commission says any executive member who accepts any appointment must resign from his executive position in the party. The Parliamentary Leader of the National Grand Coalition (NGC) party, Hon. Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella is reported to have endorsed that recommendation.
It is not immediately clear if the sixteen registered political parties will also endorse this recommendation. Several people had already supported the Commission. They described it as conflict of interest.
They claimed that some people who hold executive positions are serving in government will not be able to address issues arising in their party as they will be busy with government jobs. He said if one holds executive position, he should always be in the party office to address any issue that may arise.
But some party leaders claimed that they are Sierra Leoneans and are entitle to get government job no matter their positions. They said depriving them from serving government is like preventing them from contributing to the development of the nation.
Meanwhile, political parties have approved PPRC’s proposal to change the name ‘Registration to Regulation.’ The parties have also approved thirty seven out of the forty two proposals in the draft bill.
