By Crispina Taylor
Minority leader of the Sierra Leone People’s Party, SLPP, has told colleagues in parliament to support the ratification of the state of emergency for another year, noting that they must choose between “national and party interest”.
Dr Bernadette Lahai, MP, said she was aware of the position of her party, which recently called on its representatives in parliament to kick against any extension of the public health emergency regulation, but urged MPs support for the ratification of the law.
“We must choose between our national and party interests. Our country comes first and then our party,” she said before she closed the debate on behalf of other colleagues in the opposition.
However, Dr. Bubakei Jabbie, SLPP MP, had earlier called on the house not to approve the motion. He noted that before the bill came to parliament it had already elapsed beyond the 21-day period and that no application was made to the house for an extension.
He further argued that if Section 29(b) of the 1991 Constitution was why they were in parliament on that day then the sitting was “without relevance”.
Deputy Minority leader, Ansu Kaikai, MP, called on parliament “to do justice and to be concerned about the people. Civil rights should be thought of in ratifying another state of emergency”.
Paran Tarawallie, SLPP MP, said: “the people of this nation do not need another state of emergency because the reason for which it was passed had been handled and the regulations ended with the relaxed restrictions”.
He also said that an emergency regulation was not required to explain the public health act that was already in place.
“Sierra Leoneans should not be bothered with another state of emergency” he said.
However, Majority Leader of the house, Ibrahim Bundu, MP, thanked the minority leader, Dr Lahai, for calling on her colleagues in the SLPP to support the ratification, adding that there would be no need for emergency regulations when WHO would have pronounced the country free of Ebola.
(C) Politico 26/08/15
