Press Release
It is not the policy of the Sierra Leone People’s
Democratic League (PDL) to condone acts of violation of
the Constitution of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
Also, we condemn all fraudulent electoral programs
designed to rob the Sierra Leonean people, of their
constitutional rights to elect peacefully and
democratically a legitimate Government of their own;
and a Government committed to healing national wounds,
unite the people; wipe off completely the tears of the
downtrodden; involving the people at all levels of
government; pursuing a program of development and
economic prosperity, and above all a Government that
would not subject itself to the self-aggrandizements
of big Party Gurus. Hence, our decision not to
participate in the former dictator Tejan Kabbah’s
electoral fraud agenda.
For the sake of moving Sierra Leone forward in
continued peace; ending the long suffering, misery,
tribulations, traumas, agonies and brutal poverty
suffered by the Sierra Leonean people, we, of the
Sierra Leone People’s Democratic League (PDL) wish to
congratulate His Excellency Ernest Bai Koroma as
he takes the office of the President of the Republic
of Sierra Leone. We congratulate also the entire
Sierra Leonean people, both at home and the Diaspora
for successfully bringing an end to the SLPP
nightmare in the motherland.
We thank leaders of the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS), particularly Nigeria for
their contribution to bring peace to our country.
To help lay the foundation for a new Sierra Leone, we
of the PDL want to remind President Bai Koroma that
Sierra Leoneans did not dance in the streets
jubilantly for the APC. On the contrary, the people of
Sierra Leone elected him as leader of APC to lead a
Government of National Reconciliation and Development.
Therefore, as newly elected President of Sierra Leone,
Mr. Bai Koroma should first and foremost form a
Government of National Inclusion, and not APC. Second,
the rehabilitation of Sierra Leone’s foreign policy to
delimit the country’s relationship with the outside
world is necessary and urgent to repair the damage
caused to the nation. We urge the President to move
fast and recognize Taiwan and establish full
diplomatic ties with the Asian nation. The President
should endeavour also to ensure that Sierra Leone
enjoys full friendship and diplomatic ties with
countries of Latin America, and extend solidarity and
support for the Bolivarian international alliance
against imperialism, spearheaded by President Hugo
Chavez of Venezuela.
We advise the President to pay great attention to
modernize the Sierra Leonean Armed Forces and boost
their morale in order to execute their constitutional
duty as custodian of the safety and security of Sierra
Leonean life and property. The President must as a
matter of concerned to the security of the nation,
close down US secret prisons and end Guinean
aggression and illegal occupation of our country.
Based on these, the PDL declares its support for
President Bai Koroma and our readiness to work with
the President to rebuild Sierra Leone at all
fronts-political, economic, social, environment and
cultural. We stand ready to render our proven
capability, technical know how and experience to move
Sierra Leone forward with President Koroma.
On the thorny issue of the ongoing violence in the
country, we call all Sierra Leoneans to bury our minor
differences and not allow the parochial interests of
greedy and selfish politicians to tear us apart. The
violence in the country would only cripple and make
Sierra Leoneans blind. We therefore call for an
immediate end to the violence and all other
anti-Sierra Leonean motivated activities that are
anathema to peace, stability and progress.
We affirm our commitment, in solidarity with all
fellow Sierra Leoneans, towards building a new and
vibrant Sierra Leonean nation based on peace, unity,
understanding, equity and protection of fundamental
rights of every Sierra Leonean person wherever he or
she may choose to reside in pursuit of his or her
livelihood.
Long live Sierra Leone!
Alimamy Bakarr Sankoh
Leader and Chairman of the PDL
National Executive member of the African Unification
Front (AUF).
Photo: Alimamy Bakarr Sankoh.
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