Sylvia Blyden versus the EU Elections Observation Mission: An explainer
The High Court of Sierra Leone on Thursday, 7th May, dismissed a lawsuit by politician Sylvia Olayinka Blyden against the Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) in the 2023 general elections, Elvin Incir and other senior officers. Ms Incir and her colleagues were named in the defamation lawsuit in which Blyden […]
The ‘rallying’ cry: Sierra Leone’s lazy approach to addressing public order concerns
Processions and parades are the right of political parties and individuals who support them. Those who want to parade the streets in their party colours, drink and dance should be able to do so. These are consenting adults and one would wonder why the PPRC is making it its business to regulate how people conduct their lives. Even when they do not conduct themselves properly, institutions like PPRC and the Police should be able to hold the parties responsible, to account. In cases where culprits can be identified, they must be held accountable for contravening established laws. We cannot ban people from exercising their rights just because we do not agree with the way they choose to do it.