Sierra Leone: UNDP, Musicians On Peaceful Elections

Sierra Leone: UNDP, Musicians On Peaceful Elections

Concord Times (Freetown)

19 June 2008
Posted to the web 19 June 2008

Ben Samuel Turay
Freetown

United Nations Development Programme and the Artists for Peace in Sierra Leone Wednesday started the non-election violence sensitisation throughout the country.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign in Freetown UNDP's communication and external relations specialist told journalists that artists played a great role in the 2007 parliamentary and presidential elections.

Peter Tayong, who emphasised the need for artists to adequately sensitise the people, also assured that his organisation would help them do so ahead of the July 5 local council elections.

He said the country could only develop when there is peace, and for peace to take effect violence and intimidation must be avoided throughout the country.

Tayong said they supported both female and male artists as well as comedians to continue telling Sierra Leoneans to keep the peace and be united.

Artist for peace representative Wahid Dumbuya said artists did embark on a lot of sensitisation activities in 2007 and that they would be doing the same in the forthcoming elections.

"We will start today at Lumley, St. John and we will travel all over the country," he said.

He called on Sierra Leoneans to vote wisely without any violence or intimidation.

Kamara pledged not to relent in their quest to ensure peaceful elections.

Public relations officer at the political parties' registration commission Paul Alieu Kamara welcomed the idea adding the PPRC would monitor and join in sensitising people to avoid conflict during elections.