MANIFESTO OF THE UNITED NATIONAL PEOPLE'S PARTY ELECTIONS 2007
When the United National People's Party - UNPP was launched eleven years ago we confidently declared in our party constitution that a principal goal of our party was "to unite all the people of Sierra Leone, to organize and lead the mass of our people in their struggle to reverse the current disunity and lay a solid political foundation for economic development." Barely six months later in spite of many serious fraudulent voting irregularities which deprived us of the opportunity to achieve our goals, our people voted to give us the second largest number of members of parliament. Our candidate also won enough votes to participate in the run-off election for President and lost only because of serious and fraudulent voting irregularities. In the interest of returning our country to civilian governance we decided not to challenge the election result in court in spite of confirmed fraud.
This manifesto is the proclamation of the UNPP that our party accepts the challenge to bring a new bright future for all Sierra Leoneans . We are determined to seize the opportunity provided by the forthcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections to convince fellow citizens that the party which won their support in the elections eleven years ago still offers everyone the best opportunity to support a party that offers the most convincing program for achieving the changes which are so desperately needed. In ten years of SLPP rule, living conditions have not improved for Leoneans. In 1996 when the SLPP took over the presidency, the exchange rate was 956 Sierra Leone Leones to one US dollar. Today one US dollar is worth 3,002 Leones. If the SLPP party is re-instated in 2007, the current trend in five years is the exchange rate could be well over 4,000 SLL to one US dollar. In 1996 the United Nations ranked Sierra Leone 174th as far as living conditions, in 2005 Sierra Leone was ranked 176th on the same United Nations Human Development Index (HDI). 70% of the country's population lives below the poverty line and 26% lives in extreme poverty. The current life expectancy for Sierra Leoneans is 41 years of age and is ranked as the eight worst country in the world. The maternal mortality ratios are the worst in the world. A study by conducted by Medecins San Frontiere (MSF) Belgium and Holland found that an average of 53% of children under 5 die from malaria. The study also stated that malaria related deaths account for 25% to 39% of all deaths depending on the district. Only an estimated 57% of the nation has safe drinking water on a regular basis. Cholera outbreaks (a disease which was eradicated in the US in the late 1800's) due to lack of safe water, kills hundreds of Sierra Leoneans each year. Progress has not been made to change the living conditions for the majority of Sierra Leoneans by the current S.L.P.P. administration. Even though Sierra Leone is rich in natural resources, none of this wealth seems to trickle down to help the common people. The current government only pays for the education of our children for Grades I, II, III. The youth of any country is their greatest asset and we need to find a way to help educate and train our youth so that we can give them the opportunities they deserve.
Our Manifesto also pledges that if the majority votes to elect its candidates to Parliament and to the Presidency, the UNPP will use the political power entrusted to it to keep the following promises:
1. WE WILL PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
The cry of the masses in all parts of our country is for urgent changes in every aspect of our individual thinking and behavior. As a government, we will set and follow high standards, namely honesty, integrity, transparency, accountability, hard work and concern for the disadvantaged, in the Civil Service, in the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of the Government.
2. THE NATIONAL DEBT
We will seriously negotiate with the International Community to reduce or cancel our crippling national debt, and pledge to use the money saved wisely and prudently. We will bring in trade and commerce to pay our national debt down and reduce the devaluation of the Leone. The national bank must be restructured and controlled by Sierra Leonean nationals. This new bank will issue currency that will be controlled using a technique that will end the inflationary tendencies so often pursued by third world governments. This new currency will maintain a position of respect in the international community and put Sierra Leone in a position to trade in the world market.
3. AGRICULTURE
We will give the highest priority to self-sufficiency in the producing of our basic foods, as an essential aspect of the nation's economic development. We will provide farmers with affordable materials, tools and technology to make agriculture more productive. We must change from a nation of imports to a nation of exports.
4. POVERTY
We will give the reduction of poverty a high priority. We believe the elimination poverty is the most stubborn obstacle in our struggle for better lives for all our people. We all therefore encourage the private sector, through offering suitable incentives, to provide gainful employment in agriculture, industry, commerce and other areas of economic activity. We will solicit credible foreign investors to bring new industries to Sierra Leone. This will enable all who are willing to work to provide food, clothing, housing and whatever they need to improve the quality of their lives, and we will welcome collaboration with workers and their trade unions.
5. EDUCATION
We will provide the financial and other resources that will give every child in all parts of the country an opportunity to be in school. Proven methods, techniques and programs will also be used to reduce the unacceptably high national levels of illiteracy of adult men and women. All youths will have the opportunity to better themselves, and in turn better our country.
6. EQUALITY
Every effort will be made to remove all traces of inequalities of treatment based on tribal origin and religious affiliation in all areas of national life. We will give special attention to implementing our commitment to enabling women to enjoy their right to participate as equals with men in all aspects of national life.
7. NATIONAL PLANS
We will remedy as quickly as possible the absence of well-conceived short and long-term social and economic development plans. We realize that in order to advance as a nation, Sierra Leone will need to build infrastructure to attract industry. Sierra Leone needs energy. No country can compete in today's economy without industry. And no industry can survive without energy. As good as the Bumbuna Hydroelectric project will be when completed, it is only a start when it comes to supporting industry. Power plants will need to be built in Sierra Leone to support industries that will allow the citizens to turn their time into products that can be traded on the world market. Industries will be induced to come to Sierra Leone by sharing the start-up costs.
8. THE ENVIRONMENT
We will put an immediate end to the current lack of concern about the destruction of our forests, the pollution of our environment, and the uncontrolled and illegal misuse of our nation's valuable land assets and beaches. We will install water purification plants, to eliminate cholera so that no Leonean will have to drink in fear of disease.
9. TRANSPORTATION
We will pay greater attention to the development of transportation. We will construct nationwide motor and rail systems with the necessary secondary feeder roads so that our farmers and traders will have easier access to export markets. All Sierra Leoneans will have access to affordable public transportation so they can travel to all parts of our country. Roads will be paved or maintained to allow travel without fear. We will ensure our transportation systems will be linked with the relevant Trans-Africa systems.
10. COMMUNICATION
We will extend communications to give equal access in all parts of the country to information, education and entertainment services. We will encourage private radio and television and encourage competition so that all Sierra Leoneans can be informed of what is happening in Sierra Leone using the most up-to-date technologies. We will work with Internet and communication providers to allow access for a greater part of the country at affordable rates.
11. ENERGY AND POWER
We will lose no time in completing the Bumbuna Hydro-Electric Project and extending the supply of electricity to every community in all parts of the country. We will also encourage the expanded use of the hydroelectric potential of our many rivers. We will explore the use of all forms of clean energy such as wind, wave, and solar. We will use bio-diesel converted from local palm oil to provide fuel for electrical power generators. We must expand our electrical power grid to be able to grow as a nation and to attract the industry we need to be able to pay off our national debt..
12. LOCAL GOVERNMENT
We will intensify the decentralization of local government and remedy the present biased delimitation of provincial districts and chiefdoms. Elections for district, town and municipal/rural councils will be conducted throughout the country as soon as possible. These councils will be empowered to assume responsibility for the development of their areas.
13. THE PRIVATE SECTOR
We will welcome full non-partisan collaboration with civil society or non-governmental organizations that offer programs that share our conviction of every man, woman and child enjoying a life enriched by a wise use of all the human and natural resources with which our country is so richly blessed. We will once again install community pride among our citizens and create volunteer groups to clean up our capital city and restore it to its former glory.
14. THE PRESS
While advocating and protecting independence of the press, we will challenge owners, editors and reporters to use their newspapers to provide genuine news and other useful information. We will discourage sponsored personal attacks and headlines, which have little or no relevance to the truth. We will remove from the constitution the charge of "seditious libel", so that reporters can report the truth without fear of imprisonment.
15. LEADERSHIP
We endorse and fully support the vision of our national leader and presidential candidate Abdul Karim, and his pledge to be a "Servant Leader," and we promise to work as a team of individuals who share his commitment to use the power of government not for personal gain but for serving the people and improving the well being of every citizen. We will eliminate corruption in government and prosecute those who use their appointments for personal gain. We will embrace and unite all political parties to work for the good of all Sierra Leoneans.
We present this our Manifesto with the assurance that we have the plan to bring a new vision of transparency and accountability into the old government of blind party loyalty, family and tribal nepotism, bribery, corruption and other forms of "money power" and irresponsible governance.
We therefore invite our fellow citizens to join us in putting our derailed country back on track with their votes for the UNPP - Di Lamp - in both Parliamentary and Presidential elections. Your vote for the UNPP brings a new chapter to the history of Sierra Leone.
Vote for change..
Vote to insure the future..
Vote to eliminate corruption in government..
Vote for the United National People's Party 2007..
United
National People's Party
Let the "Di Lamp" lead us out of the Darkness and show us the
way to a bright new future for Sierra Leone