By Mohamed Vandi in Kenema
The National Chairman and Leader of the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) was on Sunday rained with invectives by party supporters, at the Kenema police station.
Chief Somanor Karpen had brought together the two obvious fractions within the party to talk to them on the way forward to achieving peace within the party.
The supporters who were at the station in their numbers condemned the action of their leader, rained unprintable words on him, and requested him to address them on party issues at the party's office instead of a police.
The irate supporters chided their leader calling him a betrayer.
At present two different groups are claiming to be the rightful district executive of the party with one headed by Alphason Komeh and that by Foday Sannoh.
As the situation deteriorated and became uncontrollable, police led by Assistant Inspector
General of Police Alfred Karrow Kamara had to intervene and whisked away the party chairman.
AIG Kamara confirmed that there was a confrontation but that their intervention prevented it from degenerating into a clash.
"We warned them to be very mindful of their behaviour at the police station", Karrow said, adding that he had warned the chairman not to hold such a meeting at the party office because of the split that already existed in the party even at the national level.
Some of the party youths disclosed to Politico that they had gathered at the station to "teach our national chairman what democracy means". One of them, Mustapha Sesay said their Chairman should have respect for the will of the people and accept their elected district chairman in the person of Alphanson Komeh. He said they were in control of the party office and therefore had the majority in their favour.
Supporters of the rival claimant to the district chairmanship, Augustine Sannoh said they were in support of the chairman’s decision to hold the meeting at the police station.
When contacted, Somanor Karpen confirmed that he had gathered the two groups to talk to them on peace. He said they were in Kenema on the issue of the Ebola outbreak but that he used the occasion to talk to the two groups on peace. He downplayed the issue calling it "very minor".
(C) Politico 11/07/14
