By Crispina Taylor
The Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) has in a one-day forum validated its strategic work plan for 2016-2020.
The PPRC is charged with the responsibility of overseeing the activities of political parties, register, monitor and regulate their activities. The strategic plan serves as an instrument to guide the commission towards fulfilling this mandate.
The occasion on Wednesday, held at the Cathedral House on Gloucester Street in Freetown, comes ahead of the expiry of the current Strategic Plan (2011-2015) at the end of this December.
“The Commission is now at a turning point; that is developing and preparing for the next five years in the form of a strategic plan,” Justice Tholla Thompson, PPRC Chairman, said at the opening session of the forum which brought together representatives of all eleven registered political parties, CSOs, media, among other participants.
The purpose of the validation is to ensure that information in the strategic plan is accurate and reasonable as suggested by staff members and members of the registered political parties, he added.
The document also looks into the strength, weaknesses, threats and opportunities for the commission for the next five years.
One of its most talked about challenges is lack of funding and other logistical issues. This is captured in the validated strategic plan, which notes that the institution is under budgeted by the government and that this has impacted on it in terms of provision of adequate office space for effective operation.
The PPRC in the new strategic plan hopes to write proposals and projects to attract funding, capacitate political parties on report writing, and ensure they produce manifestos at least a year before elections.
In the last election, only two political parties – the governing All Peoples Congress (APC) party and the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) – had manifestos. The Commission wants all registered political parties to have manifestos.
The PPRC also wants to embark on civic education to raise awareness on political parties and their responsibilities. It also wants to capacitate its staffs across the country and acquire its own permanent structure in terms of offices in Freetown and ensure government complies with the 2002 PPRC Act in terms of funding.
Cornelius Deveaux, a representative of the APC, suggested that the National Commission for Democracy be included in the plan as one of the working partners of the PPRC.
Philip Tondoneh of the SLPP raised concern about the practice of transparency in the operation of the Commission.
The All Political Parties Youth Association was represented at the occasion by its Vice President, Abass Kamara, who advocated strongly for funding for the commission. He said this is important as it would ensure sustainability.
Concerns over funding for the Commission also featured in the statement of Augusta James Teima of the All Political Parties Association, who added that the strategic plan was important as it would ensure that the PPRC progresses.
Alhaji Warisay of Democracy Sierra Leone urged the PPRC to endeavor and establish offices in all parts of the country.
(C) Politico Online 01/10/15
