Freetown — The ruling All Peoples Congress and the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party Thursday pledged their support and commitment to working with the restructured Political Parties Registration Commission.

The pledge came following the start of the PPRC's month-long visits to political parties and development partners. Both meetings were held at the APC headquarters on Old Railway Line in Freetown and at the SLPP Wallace Johnson Street headquarters in central Freetown.

In his statement, deputy national secretary general of the APC, Frank Kargbo, assured the commission of his party's commitment and support towards the enhancement of their work. He said his party was satisfied with the work done by the commission even though there were gaps in the Political Parties Act of 2002 which did not prescribe punitive actions against defaulters of the Act and the Political Parties Code of Conduct.

Kargbo voiced the APC's fullest commitment to the implementation of the joint communiqué signed by the two parties in 2009.

Underscoring the role played by the PPRC in settling the dispute in the APC before the 2007 elections, administrative chairman of the party Dr. Birch Conteh said they were optimistic that the commission will play an important role in ensuring a peaceful election in 2012.

In her brief remarks, social secretary of the APC women's congress, Khadija Sesay raised the issue of the commission not being equipped to monitor political parties especially in the regions.

Making his statement, chairman and leader of the SLPP John Oponjo Benjamin also expressed his party's commitment in supporting and working with the PPRC, as he noted his satisfaction with the newly restructured PPRC. He urged the commission not to allow people in authority to derail their hard earned credibility.

Benjamin encouraged the commission to discourage party operatives from misinforming the general populace on what constitutes a political party. He also spoke about the gaps in the Political Parties Act of 2002 while underscoring the need for the commission to be given powers to take punitive measures against defaulters of the Act and the Political Parties Code of Conduct.

In his brief remarks, national secretary general of the SLPP, Jacob Jusu Saffa said his party wanted clarifications on the monitoring arrangement for the joint communiqué signed by the APC and SLPP in 2009 and the establishment of the Independent Police Board.

The visits were climaxed by the handing over of the draft recommendations on the Political Parties Act of 2002 and the 1991 Constitution to the deputy national secretary general of the APC, Frank Kargbo and chairman and leader of the SLPP, John Oponjo Benjamin.

The month-long activities which also serve as a platform to strengthen the collaboration between the PPRC and its development partners continued on Friday with a visit to Irish Aid - one of the commission's development partners.