As a way of maintaining his popular vote in the fourth coming presidential and parliamentary election, President Ernest Bai Koroma past Saturday assured his APC party supporters that, this time round, it is they who will have to choose their candidates for Parliament, local councils and Mayors in the forthcoming symbols awarding process of the party.
He made this declaration when launching the APC biometric voter registration education campaign at a ceremony at the Brima Attouga Mini Stadium in the east of Freetown.
President Koroma described the APC as an ordinary man party belonging to traders, teachers, drivers, market women, okada riders, farmers and any other ordinary man and woman in the country. Because of this he maintained, the party’s intends to reflect this by giving the people the power to choose whom they want to represent them at the various representation levels in the country body politic.
He said he was leading the voter education campaign as a demonstration of the party’s commitment to a free, fair and transparent election, and the need to make the ordinary man and woman understand and accept the process.
“This is a national action by the APC to launch this campaign country wide for the understanding of all and sundry. What we are doing here today is being replicated by our comrades in the Northern, Southern and Eastern regions of the country,” the President disclosed.
The President called on the people to come out in their numbers throughout the registration slated days to enable them to vote for continuity of his good works in the areas of health, electricity, infrastructure, agriculture and education. He warned against double registration, pointing out that the biometric system is designed to detect such malpractices.
The President informed that campaigns have not been officially declared yet, saying that it is the legal responsibility of the NEC to make such declaration. He noted that even though many people now seem energized for the campaigns, he emphasized on them registering as it is only by that would they be actually energized to participate in the election campaigns.
“I am encouraging everyone to register. This call is not only for our APC supporters, but for every Sierra Leone within the accepted age bracket of 18 years,” President Koroma called.
The President assured the people of his total commitment to a peaceful election, and promised that the ugly incident which marred the by-election in Constituency 104, Ward 369 will never happen again.
“I will not set up any investigation committee again into any violent incident. The police must be seen to taking a lead into such incidences. If the police fail to take action then we will know that they are not up to their responsibility”, the President declared, adding that they are waiting to see what action the police will take on this present issue.
APC Regional Chairman, Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray said the people of the East District have made history with the launching of the APC biometric registration education campaign by the president in the east. He called on the people to go out in their huge numbers to register as a show of their love for President Koroma.
He encouraged the people to be heartened and not be made despondent because of the non performance of their MPs or Councilors.
“Don’t think about those MPs and Councilors. Register for the love of President Koroma so that you can vote for him come November,” the APC Chairman said.
According to the Minister, President Koroma believes that the women will vote him in again to continue to provide for them the free health care he has started and other socio-economic development projects.
By Alhaji M. Kamara