Ongoing Crisis: SLPP Takes Major Step Towards Peace

The main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) has taken a huge step towards a peaceful resolution of its internal political and legal wrangling at a reconciliation meeting spearheaded by the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) in Freetown.

According to an impeccable source, the Alie Bangura group which took the Chief Somano Kapen led National Executive to court following their election defeat at the party delegates conference in Bo in 2013 now appears to be opting for a peaceful political instead of legal settlement.

Both sides have met more than twice in recent weeks at the PPRC sponsored reconciliatory meetings in Freetown aimed at resolving their differences emanating from the 2013 Bo party conference.

Global Times gathers that when the two sides last met on Wednesday at the PPRC office, the need for peaceful resolution of the impasse became imperative after what our source described as a ‘frank and solid presentation’ by Chief Somano Kapen. The Alie Bangura group, reports say also reciprocated by indicating its readiness to soften its hitherto intransigent legal position.

Ambassador Bangura was recently expelled from the SLPP, days after he sought a Supreme Court injunction restraining the party’s National Executive from conducting or holding elections at all levels of the party.
And at a recent meeting of Northern in Makeni, stakeholders recommended that Ambassador Bangura be urged to drop all court cases against the party as a precondition to the party reconsidering his expulsion.

The national executive has so far refused to officially comment on the ongoing PPRC sponsored peace talks, but reports are that it is not averse to reconsidering Ambassador Bangura’s expulsion.

“I can’t say outright but in the interest of peace, we may have to reconsider having him back in the party. He must however have to prove to everyone that he is genuine about the peace process”, a member of the national executive confided.

Among other issues, the final outcome of the PPRC mediation effort would likely include recommendation for the discontinuation of all court cases lodged by the Alie Bangura group and the cancellation of the Ambassador’s recent expulsion from the party.