By Ragan M. Conteh
The Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Hon. Bashiru Sillikie, has announced possible debates on the State of Emergency (SoE) Regulations and the Independent Media Commission Act on the adjournment date of the next sitting in the august body as part of best practices in the legislative body.
The opposition lawmakers, it could be recalled, on Thursday 25th March, 2020 expressed grave fear over the possible misuse of the SoE without Regulations that would give powers to it.
The Member of Parliament representing Constituency 027 in Kono District, Hon. Saa Francis Bhendu, said they as the opposition were very much concerned about the possible misuse of the SoE by state functionaries including the security forces.
Hon. Bhendu said Parliament was resolved to approve SoE Regulations in Parliament that would give powers to the State of Emergency as stipulated by the 1991 Constitution, quoting Section 29 (10) of the Constitution which guarantees that the SoE will be powerless without Regulations.
The Leader of National Grand Coalition (NGC), Hon. Alhaji Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, who moved the motion for the Government to present the SoE Regulations within 14 days, said no MP denounced the SoE that was proclaimed by President Dr. Julius Maada Bio. He however emphasized that there must be Regulations that would guide the government to successfully tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NGC Leader also quoted Section 29 (10) of the 1991 Constitution which stipulates that the SoE shall expire within 90 days and, after that, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice shall bring Regulations after the expiry date, stressing that the concerns of the opposition with regards the misuse of the aforesaid period are very legitimate. He furthered that Regulations are substances in a SoE.
The main opposition Leader in Parliament, Hon. Chernoh Maju Ramadan Bah, said there is lot of misinformation from the public regarding the declaration of the SoE by the President, noting that declaring a State of Emergency is not like enacting a law.
The MP cautioned that emergency should not be used to oppress or witch-hunt political opponents.
The opposition MPs had for the umpteenth time vehemently condemned the erstwhile Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Priscilla Schwartz, for her failure to present the Regulations for the SoE and the issue became an unfinished business until she was axed from cabinet last week.
They pointed at how some of the Resolutions have been relaxed by the President after nearly three months without any of those Resolutions debated and approved by Parliament, such as inter-districts lockdown and the extension of time for the curfew.
It remains to be seen whether or not the lawmakers will debate and approve such Regulations, especially when the sub-regional body ECOWAS has issued a stern warning to Member States to relax their restrictions on their citizenries.