AYV News May 17, 2023

Twenty-seven Paramount Chiefs in Moyamba and Port Loko districts have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to Support and ensure unhindered and unrestricted access in their communities, to all political parties and their candidates.

The signing was witnessed by the Political Parties Regulations Commission (PPRC), representatives of political parties, Office of National Security, the Sierra Leone Police, the media and other key stakeholders.

This will allow political parties and their candidates to conduct their electoral campaigns and other lawful electoral activities, throughout the campaign period.

The Paramount Chiefs also committed themselves to educating their subjects on political tolerance and the need for peaceful coexistence and to working with the police, Electoral Management Bodies, and Senior District Officers in their respective districts to forestall and contain any threat of electoral violence and political intolerance.

They also commit to working towards the maintenance of law and order in their communities and interface with the leadership of all Political Parties in the said Communities for the attainment of that objective.

These commitments were made at the start of the PPRC nationwide engagement with Paramount Chiefs and key stakeholders ahead of the start of campaigns for the 24th June 2023 Presidential and general elections in Sierra Leone.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding was preceded by presentations and discussions on the role of Paramount Chiefs during elections, The Impact of Hate Speech on National Cohesion, key changes in the Political Parties Act of 2022, and guideline on political parties’ processions during the campaigns.