By Prince J Musa in Kenema
The Office of National Security (ONS) has ended a post-election peace and social cohesion dialogue with political parties, security sector, Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) and other players in the Election Management Bodies (EMBs).
The engagement took place at the Kenema City Hall, Maada Bio Street in Kenema on the 26th July, 2023.
According to the ONS Chief of Staff, Francis Langumba Keili the programme was developed as part of the security sector’s strategies to engage stakeholders before, during and after the elections.
The ONS Chief of Staff noted that a team will cover all the sixteen electoral districts in Sierra Leone telling the losing party stakeholders to accept the results and maintain peace and for the winners to embrace the losers in the spirit of peace and democracy.
He pointed out that the engagement in Kenema was successful, saying the district Secretary- General of main opposition All People’s Congress (APC), representatives of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and other smaller political parties, were also in attendance and tendered a lot of complaints accusing each other’s but that the situation was managed using alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
Keili commended the security sector for displaying professionalism during and after the multi-tier elections in the country. He condemned the use of hate speeches which he said pose threats to national security with the tendency for tribalism, regionalism and physical insecurity of the country.
‘’We want to see that there is national peace and social cohesion in the country and among political parties,’’ he said.
He said responsible use of social media is the fastest means of communication and that those who misuse the platform will be dealt with under the cyber security laws. He said the security sector has been proactive to respond to most of the fake information sent on social media by countering them.
He warned all to use social media responsibly as he said without peace no development or foreign investment will take place in the country and advised the politicians to focus on national development.
Alhaji Sheku Kamara from the inter-religious council told the gathering that as moral guarantors for peace in the country, they are pleading that political parties maintain peace.
Contributions and recommendations from political parties, civil society and other stakeholders formed part of the deliberations.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (28/07/23)
