By Donstance Koroma
The Leader of the opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) Hon. Abdul Karim Kargbo during an interview with cross section of journalists shortly after the oath taking of the fifty-two (52) Members of Parliament on Tuesday 7 November, 2023 that marked the end the opposition boycott of all elected MPs, broke silence in respect to the issue of his party’s take on the appointment of Hon. Mohamed Bangura as member of the ECOWAS Parliament, the legislative arm of the Economic Community of West African States.
He told the media that the Supplementary Act of the ECOWAS parliament stipulated that the life span of the ECOWAS Parliament span for four years. Hon Kargbo revealed that the current ECOWAS parliamentary tenure runs from 2020 to March 19 2024, which brings to an end the terms of both Hon. Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah and Hon. Manley Spain as members of the ECOWAS Parliament.
He continued that after 19th March of 2024, the new mandate will be left with the APC to recommend who among the 52 MPs will represent the party at the ECOWAS Parliament to maintain a balance of democracy like in the case of other parliaments.
Responding to question about Hon. Mohamed Bangura’s APC membership status, the leader of the opposition in Parliament said the APC is a well-structured political party with a disciplinary committee. He disclosed that the party will look into the issues of Hon. Mohamed Bangura and Hon. Alfred Thompson and after its findings the committee will recommend to the national executive accordingly.
In an event, the party decides for both MPs to forfeit their APC memberships, they will also definitely miss their seats in parliament, citing section 1k of 77 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone.
He told the press that his attention will focus on unifying the elected MPs to ensure that Bills, agreements or any vital issues in the order paper must be deal with concertedly considering the party’s position.
“It is political suicidal for an elected MP voting for another party position when his party already has his,” said Hon. Abdul Kargbo.
He furthered that section 83 of the national constitution stipulated that even when an elected MP could not subscribe to the oath of office, that particular MP has the rights to vote for the Speaker of Parliament simply because the said MP is elected.
Hon Kargbo disclosed that as a party, they have not done anything wrong as boycott is part of protest that is parliamentary.
