Speaker of Parliament Urges APC MPs to Return Before Amnesty Expires

During a parliamentary session on the 12th of October, 2023, Speaker of Parliament, Honourable Abass Chernor Bundu, firmly urged opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) to promptly return to their seats in the house before the expiration of their amnesty period.

Speaker Bundu stressed the importance of adhering to the legal timeframe, warning,

“I am ready to welcome the absent MPs, provided their return falls within the legal timeframe.”

In addition, the Hon. Speaker of Parliament announced that there are only seven more parliamentary sittings left before the amnesty’s deadline and cautioned that failure to comply would result in legal consequences.

Furthermore, Speaker Bundu emphasized the gravity of the issue, referencing constitutional provisions in Section 77 (e) and Standing Orders 77 (q) related to absenteeism. During the session, he expressed hope that MPs from both the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) and All People’s Congress Party (APC) would take their oaths and resume their parliamentary duties in the sixth parliament.

However, he expressed concern about the slow pace of the opposition MPs’ return, stating, “I understand the members of the opposition are on their way, but their progress is slow.”

Speaker Bundu directed Hon. Mohamed Bangura, acting as the opposition’s leader in parliament, to inform his colleagues about the limited time available for their return.

He said, “I charge you as the acting leader of the opposition to convey that I am eager to see them, but time is running out.”

In response, Hon. Mohamed Bangura reassured the Speaker and the entire parliament that his colleagues from the APC are in discussions with the SLPP government to expedite their return to parliamentary seats.

He affirmed, “I want to reassure this house that the honorable MPs of APC will take their seats. They are currently engaged in consultations with the government, and I am confident that, pending the outcome of these consultations, they will take their seats this week.”

As the deadline for their return approaches, the political landscape within Sierra Leone’s parliament is undergoing significant changes.

Comment(s)

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| 2023-10-14 16:43:06

Who suspended Hon. Mohamed Bangura? The Parliament of Sierra leone or the APC party which one of the two? Now, Hon. Mohamed Bangura if you are there to represen the people who elected you for the second term and for the interest of the Republic of Sierra leone my brother continue to serve don't think about colour. But if it's for the interest of your party hmmm. But to set the record straight APC has no constitutional mandate to suspended you at the House of Law.
Amara Gegbai | 2023-10-14 13:56:26

The irony of this whole situation is that APC supporters who have the shameless or impudent boldness and barefaced audacity to respond to postings on this forum lack the ability to express themselves coherently. Whatever piece they write are full of grammatical errors and disregard for syntax. If you are a secondary school dropout or you cheated your way into college, please abstain from disgracing yourselves by not writing on this forum. You can do audio recording in Creole instead.
| 2023-10-14 10:48:05

You people are fool to the highest degree No one will return at that parliament until the right thing is done And for you honourable Bangura you know you have been suspended So as it's now you know nothing about the party (APC)