By Bampia James Bundu
Chairperson of the Political Parties’ Registration Commission (PPRC), Justice Tolla Thompson has cautioned political parties to “put Sierra Leone first” as they review the country’s constitution.
He told a one-day interparty dialogue forum of representatives of ten registered political parties in Sierra Leone at the British Council in Freetown that they must extensively discuss the process.
Justice Thompson said he was calling on senior party executives to acquaint themselves with earlier recommendations put forward by the Constitutional Review Committee established by the Tejan Kabbah administration in 2006.
He challenged the forum to “work towards promoting consensus among political parties on some of the recommendations as well as finding ways to reduce the impact of ethnicity in elections”.
The PPRC boss said political parties should be given the opportunity to develop their proposals in several areas such as strengthening the appointment processes to the country’s democratic institutions and the promotion of gender equality.
He urged political parties to critically discuss issues that would enhance the commission’s legal and operational capacities and to make it effective and relevant to multi-party democracy in Sierra Leone.
“Some will be discussed under the current PPRC Bill whilst others will be discussed under the Constitutional Review Process,” he said.
Meanwhile there will be an inaugural meeting today of the Constitutional review Committee. The process is to last for two years.
© Politico 06/08/13
