Sierra Leone Telegraph: 6 June 2017
Following yesterday’s landmark ruling by the Appeal Court in Freetown, calling on the SLPP party to conduct a re-run of all 39-disputed internal party constituency elections, reactions from across the party have been quite positive.
This is what the Julius Maada Bio Media and Communications Team says in response to the Court of Appeal verdict:
Today, Monday 5th June 2017, the Panel of Justices at the Court of Appeal considering the case – Alusine Bangura & Others v. Chairman SLPP & Others – handed down a ruling with the following orders:
a) That the Lower Level Executives elections in the 39 constituencies that were under the consideration of the Court are declared Null and Void.
b) That the Lower Level Executives elections in the said 39 constituencies be re-run.
c) That for the purposes of the re-run elections, the Rules and Regulations for the conduct of Executive Elections of the SLPP published in the Gazette on January 2016 shall be used.
d) That the Lower Level Elections in all other constituencies shall remain valid and undisturbed.
e) That the injunction restraining the holding of an SLPP convention is hereby removed.
f) No order as to costs
As a respecter of the Rule of Law, Brigadier (Rtd) Julius Maada Bio welcomes the Court of Appeal Judgement and wishes to appeal to both supporters and general membership of the SLPP to remain calm and follow the directives of the National Executive in implementing the court orders.
Brigadier (Rtd) Julius Maada Bio also calls on the National Executive to take all necessary steps to fully implement the court orders. SLPP has always been a Party which respects the Rule of Law and has shown deference to the court. As a Party, we must once again use this opportunity to demonstrate to the general public that we are the Party of Law and Order.
While we recognise that there are some Party members in the affected 39 constituencies who may feel disappointed with the court ruling, Brigadier (Rtd) Julius Maada Bio would like to entreat all Party members in the affected 39 constituencies to respect the court ruling and continue to participate in the internal democratic process of the SLPP.
Finally, the general membership of the Party should consider the court ruling as a Win-Win for everyone and a demonstration of the leadership of the SLPP in promoting internal party democracy in Sierra Leone.
We hope that this ruling will lay the strong foundation for all sides to participate and accept the verdict of the people in the National Delegate Conference for which the injunction restraining its holding has been removed.
As long as our father JMB has accepted the court ruling we will listen to him and respect the rule of law.
He is our next president of Sierra Leone, our founding father of democracy. PAOPA SALONE FOR BETTEH