February 27, 2017 By Patrick Jaiah Kamara
Following the recent wrangling within the inner circle of the Alliance Democratic Party, the National Commission for Democracy NCD has issued a strong warning for the party to be transparent and accountable to its members.
A press statement from the Commission issued by NCD called on the membership of the ADP to put their house in order and follow due process in addressing issues arising from the current situation in order to ensuring sanity in the body politic of the nation.
“The Management of NCD is calling on the membership of the ADP and by extension all political parties to play by the rules of the game to ensure that a democratic good governance environment is enhanced in our beloved motherland even as the process of democratic consolidation is given a boost,” the release stated.
The release stated that operatives of all political parties must accept the reality that they should be accountable to the people of the nation through the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) and must do everything to spare people the painful reality of considering the political arena as being problematic.
The statement continued that political parties must do everything within their powers to win the trust and confidence of the people of Sierra Leone as they are the actual custodians of political power and in them true sovereignty, with the politicians enjoying delegated power through the ballot box as established by the social contract.
“The NCD is stating in very clear terms that the people of Sierra Leone deserve better especially with due consideration given to international best practice and as such the ADP should put its house in order or otherwise risks losing the respect, trust and attention it is seeking from the people of this nation,” the release added.
The release noted that all political parties must respect the provisions of Section 35 of the 1991 Constitution in its entirety with emphasis on Sub-Sections (2) & (3).
The Commission urged all institutions to contribute their quota to the laudable effort with the availability of the right kind of leadership and structures to make for strong institutions that will stand the test of time.
It further noted that politicians should set the pace and give the nation a quantum leap in terms of acceptable democratic standards that resonate with best practice as time is of the essence.
It could be recalled that the Deputy Chairman of the ADP, Ibrahima Soumah Mansaray aka Brima Togo, recently wrote a letter to the Political Parties Registration Commission, accusing his Chairman and Leader, Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, of corruption and monopoly over the running the party’s affairs.
The former top footballer of Freetown United, who went unopposed at their delegates’ conference last year, said he had not been given space to serve as deputy effectively, alleging that his boss performs all functions in the party.
Debunking the allegations, Mansaray said on Radio Democracy Good Morning Show that his deputy’s actions were ‘baseless and an act of malicious fabrication and insubordination’ to the leadership of the party.