By Saio Marrah
The Executive Director of the Institute of Governance Reform (IGR) has on behalf of other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) presented the 2023 Citizens’ Manifesto to the governing Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) so that they could adopt it into their manifesto the needs of the people.
Lavalie told the SLPP executive members at their party headquarters in Freetown on Monday 15th May 2023 that the citizens’ manifesto is developed by 45 steering committees that include members of CSOs like Action Aid, the 50-50 group, and the Society for Democratic Initiative (SDI). He said they want to see it reflect in the next administration.
After noting that the mode of developing the document was very robust, he said that the members of all political parties in parliament were involved in developing the instrument. After which he said the instrument was used to conduct a survey of 2,400 citizens across the country regarding what their needs and priorities were. He said they also canvassed 800 opinion leaders across all the districts.
After commending the government and political parties for taking on board some of the key priorities in the 2018 citizens’ manifesto that focused on the increase in budgetary allocation to education and health, he said the 2023 manifesto has six key priorities.
He highlighted 50% youth employment, the Installation of traffic lights to reduce police presence on the streets, electronic payment for traffic offences outside of the courts, and presidential and parliamentary candidates’ committing to a public declaration of their assets and liabilities on or before the nomination period for 2023 elections.
The six key priorities also include calling on the next government to evenly distribute political appointments by region, specifically recommending that it should not be less than 15% or above 30% per region.
On the part of the citizens, he said they want to ensure they stop begging and putting undue pressure on public officials like the judiciary, as well as stop paying bribes to public officials like police officers.
The representative of Action Aid, Aminata Kelly Lamin, said on the broader picture, they want to see good roads, a continuation of good health facilities, access to clean drinking water, and that the citizens want to see that everyone is safe, peaceful and in a harmony.
She told the SLPP executive members to include them in their manifesto so that it will not just be the SLPP manifesto but for all Sierra Leoneans.
In his response, the Chairman of the SLPP, Dr. Prince Harding said he wishes the opposition party should have a front bench in the form of a shadow cabinet. This he said will reduce their urge to get power at all costs saying that the winner takes it all situations is prevalent.
He also commended the CSOs for developing the citizens’ manifesto, describing the document as an eye-opener.
The Secretary General of the SLPP, Umaru Napoleon Koroma, said that based on the key highlights; they are a little bit ahead of the citizens’ manifesto because the things mentioned in the document are things they take into very serious consideration as a party.
Koroma said the basis of their development plan has to do with human capital development, which he said they translated into their mid-term development plan.
He noted that all that have been highlighted in the citizens’ manifesto “are very much good requirement for good living which we need for everyone be it APC, SLPP or NGC. We are a human being that wants to see Sierra Leone develop. That is the agenda of… the president. So thank you very much for reminding us,” he said.
He said they were also glad to hear that most of the things mentioned in the 2018 citizens’ manifesto were taken on board and also applauded the issue of responsibility of citizens as indicated in the document.
He later informed journalists that the 50% youth employment highlighted is the dream of the SLPP government because they realised that Sierra Leone is a youthful population.
Thus, he said they want the youths to lay the foundation for the development of the country and that as many youths are graduating from universities, the government in the last five years has been embarking on not just getting the education but making them employable by going into activities that create employment.
The group has also presented the document to the main opposition APC party.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (17/05/23)
