By Ragan M. Conteh
The Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Abass Bundu has on Thursday 27th February 2020 gave a stern directive to the Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Hon. Sidi Tunis to summon the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) Director General for a meeting at Committee Room one.
The Speaker noted that the rationale of the meeting was for the NCRA boss to explain to members of the House regarding their latest release on the verification and registration of voters.
Dr. Bundu told MP’s on Thursday that, NCRA is seemingly trying to usurp the powers of the constitution and that they have overstepped their mandate.
The NCRA according to him had contravened the provisions in section 33 of the 1991 constitution of Sierra Leone.
Dr Bundu made the disclosure at the well of Parliament after Hon. Kulakoh Marrah from the opposition APC had stood and cited Section 33 of the 1991 constitution raising grave concerns on the proposal by the National Civil Registration Authority to undertake a fresh registration process.
Hon. Marrah told MP’s that subject to the provisions of the Constitution the National Electoral Commission (NEC) shall be responsible for the conduct and supervision of the registration of voters for, and of, all public elections and referenda.
The Hon MP recounted that a release written by the NCRA on 20th February 2020 is contrary to the provisions of section 33 of the 1991 constitution of Sierra Leone and is also a usurpation of the powers of the National Electoral Commission and the 1991 constitution of Sierra Leone.
Member of the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) failed to respond to the submission of Hon. Kalokoh from the opposition.