APC leadership and SLPP government commence dialogue to end political crisis

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 10 September 2023:

Following a meeting between the leadership of Sierra Leone’s main opposition APC party and representatives of the Commonwealth Secretariat and ECOWAS in Freetown three days ago, where they discussed the modalities for the start of political dialogue to end the post-elections crisis that is crippling the country – economically and politically, the APC has confirmed in a press statement published yesterday that its leadership has indeed commenced direct talks with the SLPP government.

Since the announcement of the June 24 election results by the National Electoral Commission which gave President Bio a marginal victory over the opposition APC presidential candidate – Dr Samura Kamara,  the elected APC MPs and councillors have boycotted all engagement with the ruling SLPP, claiming that the elections have been rigged by the electoral commission to favour President Bio’s SLPP.

Election observers and the international community have all said that the election results lacked transparency and credibility.

The country’s National Election Watch (NEW) said that no single party had won the presidential election which therefore ought to have triggered a run-off between President Bio and Dr Samura Kamara.

But also central to the opposition APC’s demands is that the electoral commission must publish all polling station disaggregated results.

As the talks between APC and the government gets underway, a street protest is being planned by a group of  Sierra Leoneans to take place  tomorrow Monday, 11th September. But the leadership of the APC are distancing the party from the planned protest at the rising costs of living in the country.