As SLPP MPs attend P'ment today, Koroma and Bio to tour Bo

An internal meeting of the Sierra Leone People's Party executive and elected officials of parliament and councils held at the party's headquarters yesterday advised all elected MPs to attend orientation today ahead of the House meeting on Friday. State opening will happen on the 14 December.  A source who was in the meeting told Politico that the 42 opposition parliamentarians confirmed their attendance of today's rehearsal or orientation but would not say whether the threatened boycott by the party if certain conditions were not met still stood. They include an audit of the last elections and the release of their party supporters held or facing trial across the country for law and order offences. The Secretary-General of the party, Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie said a final decision on that was expected on Thursday after a meeting of the SLPP National Executive Committee.  He also said that “more than ten” of their party supporters in Kenema and Kailahun detained or charged for election-related law and order incidents had been released. He said they still had over 20 in detention or facing trial and that they were still compiling the list. Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Frank Kargbo told Politico that he met with the legal team of the SLPP, and confirmed that some of their supporters had indeed been freed. He said they were looking at all of them on a case-by-case basis and that more would be released soon. The Attorney General, however, went on to say that it was unlikely all of them would be released, adding that they were working in consultation with the Sierra Leone Police who had arrested and charged the opposition supporters in the first place. All of this comes in the wake of a watershed face-to-face meeting between President Ernest Bai Koroma and his closest challenger in the November polls, Julius Maada Bio. The first such meeting since July. Minister of Information and Communication, Ibrahim Ben Kargbo says the main opposition challenger in November's presidential contest has spoken of a parade in Bo or Kenema between him and the president. Speaking to Politico Kargbo quoted Julius Maada Bio as suggesting in the Monday meeting at State House that he and President Ernest Bai Koroma should hold a public rally to ease pressure and assure his supporters.  The close-door meeting was facilitated by a group of Christian groups under the umbrella of The Body of Christ. “Could you please give me an opportunity so that we make this thing more clear for even my supporters. May we converge in a place like Bo or Kenema so that I will declare openly that everything is over and you will continue to be our president”, Kargbo quoted Bio as saying.  Details are yet unavailable as to how or even when any such public display of political reconciliation is expected to happen, but many say it is needed to calm down nerves following a bitter political campaigning. According to a joint communiqué signed by the Secretaries-General of the APC and SLPP,  the meeting which brought about the  leaderships of the two parties, discussed “issues of national interest including the conduct of future elections”. Chaired by President Koroma the talks were reportedly “frank” and Mr Bio Bio “reiterated his commitment to peace and security” in the country . He said “the position of President Koroma as President of Sierra Leone is not in contention”. President Koroma emphasised that “we should continue to have dialogue of this nature in the interest of peace and the promotion of democracy”, and emphasised the need to put in place “a mechanism that will considerably reduce the influence of regionalism and tribalism in the nation’s body politic”. He directed that further meetings be held between the two parties with a view to concluding the several issues raised in the meeting. The Secretary-General of the SLPP, Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie  referred to the meeting as “positive” and “progress made”. Asked whether this meant a calling off the threatened boycott call of parliament and councils by his party, he told Politico the party's National Executive Committee would hold an emergency meeting “shortly” to be briefed on the outcome of yesterday's meeting which he said would determine the next move. But he sounded “pleased” with the outcome of the meeting. Earlier, a State House press statement had quoted President Koroma as saying that the recent elections were acclaimed by both national and international observers “as free, fair, peaceful and largely credible”. The release quotes the president as urging the opposition SLPP party to “have faith that any political issue in the country falls under his purview as President of the Republic, adding that he believes the SLPP should address their concerns through the right channels”. Julius Maada Bio referred to Ernest Bai Koroma as “His Excellency”, according to the release, implying that he accepted that the president did win the 17 November poll. It quotes Bio as saying that when the president arrived in the Credentials Hall, he “stood up because he recognised the President as the first gentleman of the state”. He went on to assure all that his party – SLPP – was committed to peace and law and order in the country, but emphasised that he had issues with the outcome of the elections which he said were seriously flawed. He insisted that in any democratic society, such concerns should be addressed, saying it was his right to do so. © Politico 05/12/201
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