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FREETOWN: ABDUL OSAIO KAMARA: In a frank conversation with The New People, at the party's headquarters, Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) secretary general, Jacob Jusu Saffa, stated categorically that the APC leadership is clear that it will use violence and intimidation for the local government elections (as evident in Resident Ministers singing "fire,fire,fire dae cam"). It is obvious that the APC hierarchy sees violence as a means to an end. It is also obvious that the Police and the PPRC are not willing to do anything since all complaints to those two institutions have come to naught. Where there is no justice, he argued, people will respond to the law of natural justice and themselves and their property. In these circumstances therefore, Jacob Saffa put the APC on notice that SLPP supporters will "return fire for fire.”

He said that the SLPP hierarchy will no longer restrain party supporters who are being wounded, humiliated and violated by acts of APC thuggery. He continued, “the hierarchy will not be able to exercise absolute control over our members in restraining them from defending themselves by whatever means possible." He rescinded any possibility that the party hierarchy may take blame for any outcome. He pointed out that SLPP party supporters are Sierra Leoneans who must be defended by the law. If that defence is not available from the institutions of law enforcement, then, SLPP party supporters, like al citizens of the republic, have a natural and constitutional right to defend themselves.

Jacob Saffa said that the police have been complicit in some of the violence against SLPP supporters as they simply release or do not even bother to arrest the APC perpetrators. So where there is no police protection available to people, people have a natural right to defend themselves or they would be exposing themselves to danger. He said that if the APC's election mantra was "fire for fire," then that fire can only be stopped with fire. This is no incitement, he added, this was just natural and he is asking his party's supporters to not lay back and be wounded and killed. They should be resilient and fight back.

Jacob Saffa also revealed APC plans to righ elections including destroying the SLPP radio station to prevent it from communicating with the SLPP membership, attacking and vandalizing the SLPP headquarters in Freetown and the regional offices “in order to de-moralise our supporters” and the bribing of NEC field staff and national officers to facilitate their rigging plans. He wants the international community to be aware that while people condemn other election processes elsewhere, they should ensure that theirs are blameless and squeaky clean. He said that the APC's of intimidation and violence (fire, fire, fire) is crude and undemocratic and that democracy cannot operate in an un-democratic environment.

He announced that it is imperative for this government to maintain the country's democratic credentials as set by the SLPP government, and added that the campaign of violence and intimidation as seen in recent incidents simply do not augur well for consolidating peace in this country and all the efforts of the international community in stabilizing the country.”

He therefore added that the international community has a duty in emphasising transparency and fairness in the forthcoming elections.