Concord Times (Freetown)
Alhassan Bah
20 August 2008
press release
Freetown — The People's Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC), Sierra Leone's hope for positive change, has received with shock and utter disappointment news about persistent violence between the two oldest political parties, the ruling All People's Congress (APC) and the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP).
Long before the 2007 presidential and parliamentary Elections, the APC and SLPP have engaged in acts of violence against each other and to some extent against members of other political parties including the PMDC.
These occurrences, happening at a time when all Sierra Leoneans are expected to put all hands on deck for the over all development of the country, have created doubts as to whether we are really ready to meet the challenges ahead.
It is in view of this that PMDC, disturbed by the continued violence across the country, registers its strongest condemnation of the actions of both parties.
With particular references to the Bo incident and the most recent in Freetown, the PMDC has become even more concerned that there seems to be no sight to these spates of violence.
As a party, PMDC condemns the act of the SLPP by detouring the approved routes of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) and taking the laws into their hands by using such areas as Mahei Boima road a prohibited road for the same SLPP.
In the same vain, PMDC condemns the SLPP for provoking the Freetown episode by alluding to the mayor of the Freetown Municipality as a "cocaine mayor", as well as referring to the APC government as a cocaine government PMDC equally condemns the APC party for the over reaction - such as invading the offices of the SLPP in both Bo and Freetown resulting into an untold destruction of property.
It is the view of the PMDC that if such conduct is not checked it will undoubtedly result in thwarting the effort of well meaning Sierra Leonean to fostering political tolerance and national cohesion. It is the further view of the PMDC, that such despicable conducts has the potential of creating a recipe for creating instability as the match towards the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections draws nearer.
What is more alarming, is the partiality of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) whose sacred duty is to maintain law and order instead SLP chose to be partisan by attacking not only innocent civilians but members of the forth estate who merely were performing their duty.
As a party, we are calling on the APC led government to institute an impartial investigation into the occurrences aforementioned with a view of bringing to books the culprits.
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