STANDARD VOICE Time For Decision Making in Sierra Leone Posted by on Sep 7, 2007, 13:44

Like in the life of an individual, there is always a time for decision making for every nation. For the sovereign state of Sierra Leone, there is no doubt that the time for a collective and pragmatic decision making has come.

The coming weekend will saw Sierra Leoneans going to the polls again to finalize a national assignment which started on 11th August 2007. The outcome of that election resulted in a run-off because of the failure of any particular candidate getting the require 55% to win.

For some considerable period the editorial stance of this newspaper has been very clear encouraging all Sierra Leoneans to actively participate in the electoral process.  We have also along sides encouraging mass participation being preaching peace and tranquility to be prevailing all through out the electioneering process.

As a newspaper, we are really not going to relent in our nationalistic assignment of incessantly emphasizing that peace must be allowed to prevailing. This is important because it is only under conducive atmosphere that the people would be permitted to give their true mandate.

As a media institution we have taken great exception to the issue reported attacks on the presidential candidate of the All Peoples Congress Party and his entourage in the Eastern Town of Segbwema. We believe such an action, regardless of who did it, must condemn in totality. The danger as associated with such is that it might have the tendency of sparking violence in other parts of the country. For all that we know, this country has never been divided on the line of restricting the movements of certain people to some parts of this country. Restricting the movement of some Sierra Leones who are not criminals, amounts to some constitutional violation of the fundamental rights.

We are also observing restrictions imposed on the movements of certain individual’s right here in Freetown merely on the basis of identifying them with other political party. This is absolutely wrong and the constitutional security apparatus must take practical measures to curb the excesses those fanatic supporters before the 8th September 2007.

We again continue our usual appeal of coming out in your numbers to vote for the candidate of your choice on coming Saturday 8th September 2007. The media is also encouraging the population to be extremely vigilant so that there will not be room for any thing that might lead to the not accepting the result of the elections.

We are also calling on the security architecture to ensure that adequate security provision is made for the electorates from now on to during the voting up till the time the transition is completed.

There is no doubt that such can be achieved if the police force which is the primary security force is neutral so that it can be trusted to do a credible working. In fact the role of the police not only in electoral process but in post conflict situation is so crucial if the embryonic peace achieved is going to be sustained. We are therefore calling on the police force, particularly if top hierarchy to endeavour to be neutral in what is now perceived as a keen political contest.

In our views, there is no violence that the police should not be in position to control. In fact, the peaceful conduct of this election  largely depends on how the police is going to handle this whole electoral process.  It is in this regard that we continue to insist that the Sierra Leone police force, which is largely supported by the tax payers’ monies, take a neutral position and play a dispassionate position.

Sierra Leoneans are therefore reminded that opportunity comes once and must therefore take advantage of this situation by coming out to vote.