By Politico Staff Writer
The Speaker of Sierra Leone’s Parliament, Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu, has called on members of the All Political Parties Association (APPA) to espouse peace and help to cultivate a culture of non-violent elections.
Mr Bundu was speaking to the members of the newly elected executive of the Association who called on him on Wednesday.
According to a news release from the communications office of Parliament, the meeting was held in the Speaker’s Board Room, where the APPA executive presented a copy of a peace pact representatives of the constituent political parties signed, called the Peace Communiqué on Cohesion for National Development.
“You can count on us as a Parliament to help your association in the promotion of democracy and good governance of the state,” the Speaker said, noting that democracy was the bedrock on which the association was established.
“We want to see our country lifted from the bottom of the human development index to the top,” he added.
APPA is an umbrella body comprising all registered political parties in the country. It serves as an avenue for dialogue among political parties. Its membership comprises all 12 registered political parties in the country.
As a former MP himself in the early 90s, Speaker Bundu recalled been a founding member of the association, which he said was meant to foster unity and dialogue among political parties.
“During the 1996 transition from military to a civilian administration, APPA played an active role in the promotion of democracy and good governance”, he recalled.
Gibril Thullah, Public Relations Officer of APPA, officially presented the newly elected executive to the Speaker, which is headed by Prince Coker of the People’s Democratic Party.
The meeting offered the opportunity for APPA’s executive to appeal for closer collaboration with the government, among other appeals.
“We used to enjoy certain opportunities from the previous regime and we want your government to operate on that platform,” said Mr Thullah.
APPA Chairman, Coker, further appealed to the Speaker to help them popularize their peace Communiqué nationwide.
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