AYV News, March 14, 2024
The United State Ambassador to Sierra Leone David Hunt paid a courtesy call to the SLPP Bombali district Executive. The purpose of this visit was to have an independent information of the June 2023 elections.
The meeting started with a presentation which was made by the District Secretary. The Ambassador was updated about the June elections in which we categories it in to three segments.
Firstly we told him that before the June elections, most of our party members were faced with lot of intimidation by some APC house owners for which they were giving an ejectment notice because they were supporting the SLPP in Bombali.
Most of these house owners sees SLPP members in their houses as anti towards the development of Bombali. Some other negative developments before the election where our party members residences where rubbished with toilet overnight.
During the Election Day, the entire electioneering process was mad with violence. We also informed him that the former president hired thugs to intimidate our party agents in all the major polling centers within the District. He was also informed that due to the inadequate security presence within the District, our party agents were beaten in some of the polling stations with in Makeni.
Finally we told him that since the June election results were pronounced, there was some amount of uncertainty within the district which was sponsored by the former president financially. But since his exile to Nigeria Bombali is relatively calm.
On his response the ambassador thanks the district Executive for update him about the June election even though he was not here at that time.
He said his predecessor was having issue about how the election processes where done as compare to international standard, but that does not mean that the issue was only for the APC he affirmed.
He carry on to say even the SLPP where having issue with the election process base on the amount of violence perpetrated on the SLPP members more especially in Bombali which is the opposition stronghold according to the District Secretary.
He said they are expecting the tripartite committee will come out with a resolution which will serve as code of conduct for any future elections and which will be accepted by both parties.
The meeting was climax with a group photo that was taken by the attendee together with the Ambassador.