PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 11 December 2015
The Network Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (NMDHR) is calling on His Excellency the President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma to distance and dissociate himself from the clarion call made by some Youths of the ruling All Peoples Congress Party
(APC) and some other Women and Youth Organizations within and outside Freetown for an extension of his tenure of office as President and Head of State of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
The Network Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (NMDHR) wish to draw the attention of His Excellency the President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma to Article 46 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone which provides that a Head of State cannot serve more than two, five-year, terms.
46. (1) says that No person shall hold office as President for more than two terms of five years each whether or not the terms are consecutive.
Also NMDHR wants to encourage His Excellency the President to respect the ECOWAS Protocol A/SP1/12/01 on Democracy and Good Governance which emphasise the need for constitutionalism and maintenance of the rule of law in member states.
As a National Non-Governmental Human Rights Organization that is geared towards promoting pluralistic and democratic governance in Sierra Leone, NMDHR wish to commend His Excellency the President for his good work in promoting democratic governance in Sierra Leone. While commending the President for his good work, NMDHR is calling on His Excellency to respect section 46(1) of the 1991 Constitution as it was exemplified by his predecessor Late Dr. Ahmed Tejan Kabba and more recently by the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
As a brief background, Network Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (NMDHR) is a legally registered Non-Profit and Non-Governmental Human Rights Organization in Sierra Leone. NMDHR strategic focus is promoting good governance, the rule of law, democracy and human rights in Sierra Leone.
End of Press Release
– James Matthew (Dr), National Coordinator