The President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio opened yesterday, Thursday, August 3rd, the sixth session of Parliament. This return to parliament comes five weeks after the general elections, the results of which are still contested by the opposition. The opposition has chosen to boycott Parliament and all other positions of governance, implementing an empty chair policy. The head of state believes that this decision will harm “the stability of the country.”
The leader of the country reached out to the main opposition party, the APC, on Thursday, emphasizing the significance of national unity. “We have come together today to contemplate the significance of cohesion in our political system.”
In this same parliament where no party has reached a two-thirds majority, the need for dialogue and negotiation resounds with the greatest urgency.
“We must put aside our egos to espouse the great national cause”, said President Julius Maada Bio, re-elected last June in the first round with 56.17% of the vote, according to results from the electoral commission. The APC party denounces irregularities in the holding of the general elections of June 24th and calls for the holding of a new ballot. Samura Kamara’s All People’s Congress (APC) party has since refused to sit in parliament.
“Our goal transcends personal enrichment, fleeting glory. The path to greatness lies in putting the interest of the nation first, transcending partisan lines, and forging alliances beyond political affiliations”, concluded President Julius Maada Bio.