The Society for Democratic Initiative (SDI) has slammed the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) for taking unilateral ban on all political rallies in the bye-election slated for 24th August, 2019 at Constituency 110 in Goderich, west of Freetown.
The SDI is of the view that the PPRC decision had robbed other political parties like the Unity Party and the National Grand Coalition who are also contestants in the elections the opportunity to rally and garner support for their candidates.
They referred to the decision as wrong and that every effort should be made by the PPRC to review its actions and do things the right way without unduly hurting innocent Sierra Leoneans.
The SDI release calls on the PPRC to lift the ban in a bid to provide a level playing field for other political parties that were not part of the alleged 29th July 2019 violence and called on the Sierra Leone Police to bring the perpetrators to book as far as the 29th July, 2019 violence is concerned.
The SDI release also entreated PPRC to engage heads of political parties on alternative actions.
The ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party has also called shot on the PPRC decision noting that it would challenge the decision in court.
The PPRC has in a press release confined all political rallies for the Constituency 110 bye-election in Goderich following bloody skirmishes between supporters of the SLPP and the APC.
Police has about twenty-two (22) APC supporters in detention including the Deputy Publicity Secretary of the opposition APC, Karamoh Kabbah.
They are yet to proffer charges against them.