The Chairman of the Political Parties regulatory Commission (PPRC) Mr. Abdulai Masiyambay Bangurah has said that only three out of seventeen political parties are currently qualified to contest in the Presidential elections on June 24th 2023.
He made this statement during an engagement of electoral stakeholders, organized by Centre for Accountability and the rule of Law(CARL) at Country Lodge, Freetown on Thursday 23rd March 2023.
Chairman Bangurah explained that the Political Parties Act dictates that political parties must be fully registered and operational to be included by Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone onto the ballots.
He outlined that compliance to this dictate requires the payment of thirty six Million Leones as registration fee and an inclusive list of all founding members, demonstrating diversity based on religion, region and tribe. This first step is for registration as a political party.
Also there should be in existence regional offices in all five regions and those offices should be functional.
He emphasized that parties should have been categorized as functioning before nomination date slated in April and submission to electoral Commission of Sierra Leone as those parties to be dealt with based on compliance and adherence to regulations.
At present, he stated that only the Sierra Leone People's Party, the All People's Congress and the National Grand Coalition are fully registered and functioning and that might see them as the only parties on the ballots during elections.