News Story

LONDON: NEW PEOPLE CORRESPONDENT: One of the oldest and most influential Diaspora chapters of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), the United Kingdom branch, has sent a letter of complaint and protest at the All Peoples Congress (APC) government's banning of the opposition Unity Radio 94.9FM. The letter, addressed to the British Foreign Secretary, David MIlliband condemns APC's "calculated attempt to muzzle the Opposition and render it ineffectual." The letter further requests the British Foreign Secretary to "use whatever leverage you may bring to bear on the APC government to cease and desist from the harassment of Opposition supporters to operate freely within their rights as provided for in the Constitution of Sierra Leone."

The letter follows:

 

SIERRA LEONE PEOPLES’ PARTY- UK/ Ireland Branch

One Country one People! One People one Country!

Rt. Honourable David Milliband MP

Secretary of State,

Foreign and Common Wealth Office

King Charles Street

London SW1A 2AH

11 th May 2008 .

Dear Foreign Secretary,

Threat to democracy in Sierra Leone

I wish to draw your attention to worrying signals pointing to a threat to the nascent democratic gains made in Sierra Leone, gains that have been possible thanks to a very large measure to the support by the British government.

You will recall that a general election took place in Sierra Leone last year that saw the governing party, the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) losing power to the Opposition All Peoples Congress (APC). Whilst the SLPP had great reservations regarding the conduct of those elections especially the role played by the Chief Electoral Commissioner, the SLPP nevertheless acquiesced to the results principally because we wanted to maintain our hard-won peace and stability.

It is a matter of regret that since the APC’s assumption of power in Sierra Leone there has been systematic and calculated harassment and intimidation of supporters/sympathizers of the Opposition SLPP. There have been numerous instances of arbitrary dismissal from jobs, physical attacks on Opposition sympathizers, and the wilful destruction of the SLPP party Head Offices in Freetown and the southern provincial city of Bo. Despite these acts of provocation, the SLPP has continued to appeal to its members for restraint and to remain law abiding.

The APC government has now decided to take its political intolerance further by closing down the SLPP radio station.

We view this with the utmost seriousness as it is a calculated attempt to muzzle the Opposition and render it ineffectual. During their years in Opposition the APC operated their radio station which they used to great effect to propagate their messages to their supporters without hindrance; the SLPP deserves no less.

The SLPP has been very scrupulous in satisfying all regulations laid down by the Independent Media Commission of Sierra Leone. As such, the APC government has no justifiable reason for ordering the closure of the SLPP radio station.

Information is the oxygen for democracy, and by depriving the Opposition of a means to operate our radio station, the APC is embarking on a dangerous path that will undermine democracy and undo whatever gains have been achieved in Sierra Leone.

We wish therefore to appeal to your government to use whatever leverage you may bring to bear on the APC government to cease and desist from the harassment of Opposition supporters to operate freely within their rights as provided for in the Constitution of Sierra Leone.

I should end this by underscoring the abiding gratitude of the people of Sierra Leone for your continued support for our Country, and look forward to your continued help in building and maintaining the institutions of democracy in our Country.

Please be assured of our highest consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Harold B. Saffa

Chairman

SLPP , UK and Ireland Branch.

Cc. Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP, Leader of HM Opposition,

His Excellency Ban Ki Moon, Secretary-General UN.

His Excellency Kamalesh Sharma, the Secretary – General of the Commonwealth

His Excellency Sassou-Nguesso, Chairman, African Union

The Chairman, Independent Media Commission, Sierra Leone.

46 Wicksteed House, County Street, London, SE1 6RQ. Tel/fax: +44 (0)20 7771 9704. Email: sg-slppuk@yahoo.com