By Nyima Sillah
James.F. Mendy, an independent candidate who had contested in the just concluded National Assembly election for the seat of Kombo East but not succeed has expressed his dissatisfaction over the zero nomination of Christian Representatives into the National Assembly.
“I am still disturbed that there is no consideration from the leadership (of this country) at both last National Assembly and the current one to even get one Christian in the parliament,” he reacted.
He express his dissatisfaction during an interview with this medium saying it is a big disappointment and it should be made known to people.
“If it is competence and getting right people to help,” he said, “we have a lot of Christians that can do that, who will serve the interest of the country to help the government realize its development aspirations or its development agenda that will serve the interest of the people.
He added that during the selection, the National People’s Party had only few Christians who applied through their ticket but they were all dropped and not even a single consideration.
“It is up to the people because this is not about religion, it is about party, but if a party does not feel you, they don’t regard you, I think you don’t have to kill yourself for that party. I can’t still imagine how the NPP leadership could drop all the Christians that applied through their party. Is he telling us that all the Christians are not there to back him or defend his development agenda?” he asked.
According to him, a parliamentarian cannot talk about a religion that he or she does not belong to, so if a policy document or laws is discuss and the laws are supposed to treat citizen equal and there is this debate which requires people of different faith to put in their inputs and voice out what their people are saying about those laws. Or what they think will be the negative implication of those laws on their people who will be there for them?” he asked again.
“Let people not see it as bringing in religion sentiment. I stand for unity and I don’t like speaking religion or ethnicity, but if a particular religion or group is not represented there, it will be very difficult for the people to get a fair representation or a fair hearing. So, this is why I can’t imagine a parliament without a Christian.”