Sierra Leone government accuses opposition of fermenting chaos

The governing All Peoples Congress (APC) party Sierra Leone government last week accused the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) of plotting to cause chaos and prevent the peaceful conduct of the November 17 polls.

SLPP Presidential candidate, (rtd) Brigadier Julius Maada Bio, on 2012 Nomination

The incumbent charged that despite efforts by its leader, President Ernest Bai Koroma, the opposition was bent on reversing the “hard earned peace” in the country using unconventional means.

The allegations, contained in a statement by the Ministry of Information and Communications, come as tension rises, fuelled mostly by invectives on campaign platforms.

The two main political parties have been trading accusations and counteraccusations of intimidations of their respective supporters in their respective strongholds.

The latest feud was sparked by the reported killing of two opposition supporters in an incident that also resulted in 20 injuries when a vehicle ran into them as they waited to welcome opposition leader Brigadier (rtd) Julius Maada Bio.

That incident occurred last Sunday in the northern Bombali District stronghold of the APC.

The opposition blamed the APC for masterminding it.

This “has proven to be a deliberate act to create a state of anarchy in Sierra Leone,” the Information ministry statement said, pointing out that a government investigation showed that the driver of the vehicle was not an APc member after all.

It was backed by a separate release from the political bureau of the governing party.

The statement demanded full public apology from the SLPP for propagating “false allegation”.

It also accused the opposition of breaching the National Electoral Commission (NEC)`s rule restricting campaign time.

The NEC allows for campaigns only between 7am and 7pm each day.

But the APC says the SLPP engages in overtime campaign activities and considers this an “electioneering tactics” employed “to stifle the peace and create chaos.”

It warned of unspecified actions.

“This Government’s determination to maintain law and order cannot be waned or dampened by the gravest of tactics being used by the opposition SLPP… all those who break the law will only have themselves to blame.”

Meanwhile, the Political Parties Registration Commission joined calls Wednesday for sanity to prevail as tension rises less than two weeks before the polls.

Besides international elections observation missions, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has representatives in the country currently monitoring the process in a move aimed at discouraging perpetration of violence.