The Political Parties Regulations Commission (PPRC) has on Thursday, 11th May, 2023 updated the general public on the Political Parties Representation in the June 24 general elections and other related matters.

The update was done by the commission through the featured ministry of information and communications regular Thursdays press briefing which brings activities of the government to the people and encourages the people to have a view and comment on them.

The Deputy Minister Of Information, Solomon Jamiru Esq. ushered the PPRC boss, Abdulai M. Bangura and revealed that, it was done considering the fact that, the country may go to the pools in a short while for the Multi-tier elections and it is important to understand how political parties would be place for which the commission was invited to intimate Sierra Leoneans.

In his statement, the Chairman for the commission, Abdulai M. Bangura said, as a commission they are charge with the responsibility of registering political parties and overseeing their activities at all times during the election period. He said, he started the preparation by responding to the recommendations from the constitutional review committee (CRC), the political parties and observers.

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He said, the strengthening of the mandate of the PPRC was recommended by the CRC and other bodies to which the political parties themselves consented to. He said based on the provision of the new act 25 of 2022 the name of the commission was changed from Political Parties Registration Commission to Political Parties Regulation Commission.

Speaking on their preparedness for the June elections, he said they started by looking at the campaign mode of different political parties.

“I called them to a meeting on the 27th march, 2023 for us to deliberate and understand how we conduct our campaign and activities that will not disturb the public, will not compromise public safety and will not compromise public morality”. He said, adding that, they came to the meeting and it was agreed by all to ban all street rallies for this elections and based on the arrangement, the commission and other EMBs have developed a guideline as to how they will want political parties supporters to conduct themselves whilst they are processing to and fro on the designated areas which their political parties will be campaigning.

He said, they are having challenges with the main opposition party on how their supporters behave themselves sometimes as they disturb other users of the roads, he sighted the nomination day for the flagbearer of the main opposition APC, Samura Kamara as their supporters disturbed road users heading to the office of the ECSL.

He said, with all challenges, the two Major political parties APC and SLPP have worked towards the agreement signed as he commended them.

He said they have been following the nomination process and commended the ECSL and the political parties adding that, the commission has two concerns in the placement of women in the lists off all political parties.

He reminded them of the gender empowerment act and that, the women should not only be included for inclusion reasons but they are to be given appreciable stands in the list as the women should have been place at 1, 4, 7 in the lists of ten, but that the commission has observed that, they are given 3, 6, 9 placement and that they are not very pleased with that.

The other issue he raised was the percentage matric they have done for the primaries they have conducted particularly for the local council elections ranging from the Mayor, councillors and the district council chairmen.

“ They have this matric that the district will have 40%, the region 10% and the national 50% in decision making, we consider that as very unrepresentative of the people they have to rule” he pointed, adding that, the people should have the bigger say in making their leaders and not the national.