By Idriss Hamza Kamara
Since the pronouncement of the Political Party Regulation Commission (PPRC) to ban all political rallies, which seems to have given way to political thugs to destroy political billboards. Some billboards were destroyed openly in Kenema district with threats to beat anyone stopping the process of destructions.
No arrest was made and perpetrators continue to enjoy the liberty of destruction. Other destructions were done clandestinely and offenders cannot be easily identified.
Why the need to ban political rallies? Inquisitive Sierra Leoneans asked.
The commission says the aim of the ban on political rallies is to maintain discipline, where political supporters will behave maturely to maintain serenity going forward into the elections, during and even afterwards. But the objective of the ban on political rallies does not worth the salt. The main aim of the ban according to the PPRC Chairman, Abdulai Masiambay Bangurah is to avoid political vandalism and hooliganism against political opponents.
But amidst the PPRC ban on political rallies, intimidation and destructions have been perpetuated by operatives and supporters of the two political giants, the Sierra Leones People’s Party (SLPP) and the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) in the destruction of billboards placed at strategic points across the country.
Though the PPRC Chairman has made it categorically clear that all political rallies are interdicted, yet the SLPP continues to mount political campaigns in the South and Eastern regions of the country especially, in the Kono district, where motorbikes were seen in social media videos with the SLPP emblems, plying the major routes of the township, singing the name and praises of President Julius Maada Bio. With this development, it was the expectation that the PPRC should have alerted to stop and fine the perpetrators of the SLPP for gross violation of the PPRC ban. Also in the Kenema district, political threats were made by SLPP supporters against the erection of any APC billboard, and that the Kenema district is entirely for the SLPP.
These utterances are recipe for political intolerance and violence ahead of the June 24 polls.
As the APC waits to take a legal action to contest the ban at the Supreme Court for legal interpretations, this does not give the leeway to the PPRC to condone the political violations of SLPP operatives against APC members and their vulnerable supporters in the tight democratic space. At a time like this, the PPRC is expected to be neutral, just in the execution of her responsibility to manage peace, stability and national cohesion throughout the process and even afterwards the June 24, 2023, elections. Stipulated rules are not only meant to be observed by a single party the (APC).
All the political parties must adhere to the restrictive rules and guidelines laydown by the PPRC.
Political tensions have already begun to mount in the geopolitical districts of Sierra Leone, where political divisions along tribal and regional orientations are gaining grounds under the watch of the PPRC. The present political take in the South-east will deny any political campaign activities of the APC. Verbal and physical threats are now the modus operandi of the SLPP political thugs. A semblance of this is not seen in the North-west, where the thirst of political tolerance becomes imminent.
Politics is not a do or die activity. It is the measure of our political tolerance, socialization and positive interpretation.
Proscription of political rallies is not the solution to political violence. The police are there to secure life and property. They should be deployed in political rallies to maintain peace and serenity. The ban is disadvantageous to the opposition APC and advantageous to the incumbent as they revel in incumbency. A level playing field assured political equality and accessibility on the spectacles of a free and fair election on the standpoint of democracy.
The present ban on political rallies is not monitored by the PPRC. Lots of violations by the incumbent SLPP continue to sheathe the nation. If really the PPRC is ready and determined to eradicate political violence, the SLPP should have been chastised for political misbehaviour and fine. To date, nobody from the PPRC, or the chairman had come up with a statement to denounce the abhorrent act of political impropriety of the SLPP.
The PPRC is an institution created by an Act of parliament to regulate, monitor and supervise the conduct of political parties and their members. Their present silence on violations of political rallies has become a cause for concern. The credibility of our electioneering process begins with the integrity of the institution to treat all political parties with equality before the proscribe laws.
During the triumph entry of Dr. Samura Wilson Kamara into Freetown from Makeni after the APC National Delegates’ Conference, the APC was fined by the PPRC for political impropriety, using derogatory remarks they considered as inappropriate in our political dispensation. The same fine should have been levied on the SLPP for violating the ban on political rallies. This was not done but continuing in the wake of the PPRC.
It is good to allow political rallies than to see a single party rallying without the due political clearance from the PPRC. If the PPRC is adamant to remove the restriction on political rallies, the matter should be taken to the Supreme Court for constitutional interpretation.
Interestingly, the PPRC came out with guidelines on political party rallies on the 13th April 2023 instituting that, if political rallies are to hold the following must be observed:
- No hooting of car horns
- No whistle blowing.
- No laud music
- All rallies should end at 5PM
- The police should give direction on where to converge.
Looking at the nonsensical regulations, it is crystal clear that political rallies have still not been granted by the commission. The PPRC Commissioner and Chairman, Abdulai Masiambay Bangurah should know that there are laws governing political activities in the country, which do not need any interpretation from the Supreme Court.
As a lawyer, Commission Abdulai Bangurah hurts to know better than the lame man in the street. The neutrality of the commission must be maintained for the general peace of the elections and the country at large. The institution is not formed to support any political party but to create a levelling playing field for electoral purposes. The improvement on the mentioned regulations will be better than circumventing on them to disguise the political prohibition.
The political bias must be stopped by the PPRC and equal opportunity be given to all political parties to conduct political rallies.
