By Donstance Koroma
Incumbent Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) Members of Parliament of seem be yearning for the return of their colleagues of the opposition All People’s Congress APC MPs to the House of Parliament.
During the Second Sitting of the Sixth (6th) Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone, Tuesday 18 July 2023, SLPP MPs who were given bites to contribute the Speaker of the House’s acceptance speech, among other things repeatedly called on APC MPs elect to turn up for duty and take their rightful place in the well of parliament.
According to them, the House of parliament belongs to both parties, therefore, urged them to come to the well and perform their constitutional mandate for the love of country and the electorates.
The decision of the APC instructing newly elected MPs not to participate in the business of the 6th parliament has been greeted with mixed feelings.
Others supported holistically the decision of the APC on the grounds that since the SLPP had rigged the presidential election with outright impunity, it will be good to allow them to oversee all the arms of government.
On the other hand, many also of the views that the decision of the APC as a disservice to those that elected the APC MPs to represent them in parliament.
Hopes remain high that the APC national executive will sooner lower their pride and allow APC MPs elect to takes their respective seats in the well to continue with their daily parliamentary businesses for the next five years.
By the look of things, the leadership of parliament stands resolute to continue with or without the opposition.
Such determination seems visible in words and actions as the elections of the Speaker and Deputy, the leadership of the Sixth Parliament and major parliamentary committees constituted enable them starts in a full scale.
On Wednesday 18 July, the committee on appointment and public service commence it function of scrutinizing academic credentials of presidential appointees among other things before they face the well for approval.
Many are looking forward to seeing how the SLPP leadership in the House will go ahead and approve presidential appointees without the participation of the opposition APC.
Many citizens in and out of the country are patiently waiting to see whether the APC will firmly stand his grounds of boycotting parliament and how the incumbent SLPP –will navigate the 6th Parliament without the voice of the opposition.
