AYV News, February 19, 2025
In what many people have described as a show of “political brotherhood”, the All People’s Congress (APC) Party has urged the security sector to rise up to the challenge and deal decisively with perpetrators and their backers, who disrupted the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) Lower-Level elections.
The APC also admonished the SLPP leadership to conduct their party affairs like a party in power by demonstrating exemplary decorum and peace at level of their party.
The Party assured Sierra Leoneans of its readiness to restore Sierra Leone’s dignity, adding; “while we vehemently condemn this inherent, we wish to be very clear that the violence being unleashed unto themselves constitutes a threat to the general safety of citizens”.
Similarly, Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) has ordered comprehensive investigations to be initiated into all reported incidents of misconduct and violence. The Party has also pledged its dedication to ensuring that those who are found responsible for these reprehensible acts will be held accountable for their actions.
It can be recalled that the SLPP recently completed the process of its lower-level elections, an endeavor that should have fostered healthy democratic engagement within the party and the community at large.
Unfortunately these elections were marred by incidents of violence and unrest that have cast a shadow over the democratic process.
Reports indicate that several members sustained injuries during these chaotic events, underscoring a troubling trend of aggression that undermines the very principles of democracy.
In a particularly distressing incident, there was an act of arson targeting the home of one of the party’s members, which not only represents a direct attack on an individual but also threatens the stability and safety of the political environment.
Such violent actions are alarming and serve as a stark reminder of the challenges the Party face in ensuring a peaceful and respectful political atmosphere.
The SLPP in a statement said: “These acts of aggression and intimidation starkly contradict the foundational democratic values that our nation holds”.
The Party has emphasised that such behavior is utterly unacceptable and will not be tolerated within its ranks, stating further that its commitment to upholding the principles of democracy, which include respect for one another, fair competition, and peaceful engagement, remains unwavering.
The Party has strongly condemned any form of violence, intimidation, or disruption of party activities. It is essential, as a political party, to reinforce its stance against such actions and to demonstrate that they have no place in the country’s political culture.
