Concord Times (Freetown)
18 November 2008
Freetown — After a series of consultative meetings, the general memberships and executives of the Mass Communication Students Association (MACOSA) and the Sierra Leone Reporters' Union (SLRU) have agreed to come up with the first ever presidential debate in the history of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), according to a joint press release.
The debate has been scheduled for the 22nd of November 2008, a week to the highly contested SLAJ polls. It will be relayed live on Radio Mount Aureol in partnership with CTN, Radio Democracy 98.1, SLBS, and the UN radio. The debate will be held at the New Mass Communication Building, Fourah Bay College between 10 am and 12 midday.
Both parties believe that journalists as representatives of the public need to display a considerable amount of democratic principles and accountability.
As it is popularly believed that "peace begins with you (singular)" so are we of the strong view that democracy itself begins with an individual or group like SLAJ.
It could be recalled that during the last national Presidential Election, Sierra Leone's first ever Presidential Debate was organised by SLAJ. That was a very laudable adventure which was acclaimed by every sector of the Sierra Leonean society. If journalists could take up that challenge and cultivate the courage to organise a national debate for Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, why should they not demonstrate it among themselves? It is in view of these that MACOSA and the SLRU are collaborating to hold the debate.
Both parties want to make it very clear that there is a very strong determination to ensure that the debate goes on unhindered. We believe that it would be apt for the candidates to appear before their electorate to say what their honest intentions are for the ordinary journalist.
As the final plans are underway for this historic journalist political bout, we are soliciting the cooperation of all journalists and members of the public to make the event a success.
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