PPRC, ECSL Ban All Political Party Rallies in Tonkolili District

Amid bye election violence, the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) and the Electoral Commission Sierra Leone (ECSL), in consultation with the Office of National Security (ONS) has ordered that effective Monday 13 June 2022, all Political Party Rallies for the bye-election in Constituency 056 in Tonkolili District are banned until further notice.

This order was made in a joint press release issued by PPRC and ECSL on Sunday 12 June 2022.

“Pursuant to their Constitutional and Statutory mandates, the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) and the Electoral Commission Sierra Leone (ECSL), in consultation with the Office of National Security (ONS) wish to inform the Leadership of the All Peoples Congress (APC) and the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) that effective Monday 13 June 2022, all Political Party Rallies for the bye-election in Constituency 056 in Tonkolili District are banned until further notice,” they stated in the release.

According to PPRC and ECSL, the decision was made as result of the violence that occurred during the APC rally on Tuesday 7th June, 2022 in Sambaia Bendugu which culminated in personal attacks and the destruction of private properties in the said locality.

“Both Commissions deem this unfortunate event with distaste and in contravention of instructive provisions of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, the Political Parties Act of 2002, the Public Elections Act of 2012, and the Code of Conduct for Political Parties, Candidates and Supporters,” the commissions stated.

“In the interim, the campaign calendar issued by ECSL remains valid on the condition that Parties can only now campaign on their respective dates in a designated location within the constituency i.e. Town Halls, Barrays, or Open Fields, and must inform the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) of the location at least 24 hours before the event.”

PPRC and ECSL, therefore, called on the Leadership of the Sierra Leone Police to expedite the investigation of the event of 7th June, 2022, and bring to book those responsible for the violence.