Sierra Leone: The PPRC kicks off training of political parties on disputes resolution

Targeting four representatives from each political parties of the 17 political parties across 16 districts, the training will reach a total of 1,088 members and leaders of political parties at the district, regional and national levels. The training modules and session are designed to not only identify the root causes of disputes within political parties, but also to develop strategies and technical expertise to swiftly and effectively resolve disputes that may arise within party structures.

The objectives of this initiative include:

• Strengthening intra-party dispute prevention and resolution mechanisms.
• Enhancing the effectiveness of the PPRC in providing support to political parties for preventing and resolving intra-party disputes.
• Capacitating political parties to adopt a systematic approach to addressing intra-party conflicts, with comprehensive support from the PPRC.
• Supporting the establishment of permanent dispute resolution infrastructures within political parties. 

Intra-party disputes are a long-standing feature in party politics and pose a major threat to national peace and cohesion. The ability to manage such disputes, to a large extent, contribute to the peaceful and credible electoral process. By strengthening the capacities of political parties to identify, mitigate and resolve disputes, political parties can cultivate an environment conducive to adherence to regulatory frameworks, thus fostering a more robust democratic process.

Regarding recognition of this critical process of peaceful electoral engagement and adherence to political party regulatory processes, International IDEA supported the PPRC to develop a comprehensive guide on intra-party dispute resolution. Subsequently, in November 2023, representatives from 17 registered political parties converged at the New Brookfield’s Hotel in Freetown to review and validate the draft dispute resolution guide. During this event, held from 14^th to 15^th  November 2023, participants carefully reviewed the draft guide and  validated the Intra-Party Dispute Resolution Guide. The guide was adopted as an instrument to support political parties to identify and manage disputes within their ranks. 

Speaking on the 4 March at the commencement of the district level trainings in Port Loko city, Dr. Idrissa Mahmoud Tarawallie, Head of Country Programme for Sierra Leone at International IDEA, remarked: "Today’s training is a culmination of the collective efforts of contribution by the PPRC, Political Parties and International IDEA to support electoral and democratic governance in Sierra Leone. However, the guide will mean nothing if the political parties don’t put it into meaningful use. I therefore urge you to use this document as a tool to resolve intra-party dispute as a way of furthering Sierra Leone democratic process and national cohesion’’. 

Expressing his thoughts on the initiative, Olushogo A. David, the Executive Secretary of PPRC, stated: “The guide will become an effective tool in helping political parties resolve their internal party dispute. The Commission want to see a situation where political parties do not resort to the court for redress but have an internal complaint redress mechanism through the institutionalization of the District Resolution Committee. The Commission remains committed to the development of political parties’ internal structures; hence appreciative of the support from International IDEA and the European Union (EU).

The development of the Intra-Party dispute resolution guide and the training of political parties on its use and implementation is carried out through the support of the Sierra Leone Democracy Strengthening Programme, implemented by International IDEA and funded by the EU. 

For media inquiries, please contact: Dr Idrissa Mamoud Tarawallie, Head of Programme Email:i.tarawallie@idea.int; L  Lucien Momoh, Director of Outreach and Training – PPRC (+23278201770) or Alfred Fornah, Communications Officer, International IDEA Sierra Leone, Phone: 077908976