Sierra Leone People's Party
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Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP)
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SLPP symbol, the palm-tree
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| Leader | Sumanoh Kapen |
| Chairperson | Sumanoh Kapen |
| Secretary-General | Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie |
| Spokesperson | Hon Musa Tamba Sam |
| Founder | Etheldred National Jones/Lamina Sankoh |
| Founded | 1951 |
| Merger of | Peoples Party (PP), Protectorate Education Progressive Union (PEPU), Sierra Leone Organisation Society (SOS) |
| Headquarters | 15 Wallace Johnson Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone |
| Continental affiliation | Democrat Union of Africa |
| Colors | Green |
| Slogan | "One Nation, One People" |
| Seats in Parliament |
43 / 112
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| District Councils Chairperson |
6 / 13
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| Municipalities Mayors |
3 / 6
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The Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, along with the All People's Congress (APC). The party dominated Sierra Leone's politics from its foundation in 1951 to 1967, when it lost the 1967 parliamentary election to the APC, led by Siaka Stevens. It identifies as a social democratic party.
The SLPP returned to power when its leader Ahmad Tejan Kabbah won the 1996 presidential election. The party was in power from 1996 to 2007, when it again lost to the APC, led by Ernest Bai Koroma, in the 2007 presidential election.
SLPP dominated politics in Sierra Leone in the years following World War II. In 1955 and 1956, riots occurred in Sierra Leone, originally sparked by the artisan union's strike over pay, further unrest followed strikes by transport workers. These events led to a growing sense of animosity between the SLPP and Krio parties, especially the Cyril Rogers-Wright led United Sierra Leone Progressive Party established in 1954. The SLPP was able to position itself as 'the countryman's party,' and notably garnered the support of the tribal chiefs. After elections in 1957, Milton Margai bowed to behind the scenes pressure and stepped down from leadership of the SLPP, with his brother Albert Margai taking his stead. However, in 1958, Albert Margai and Siaka Stevens launched a new party, the People's National Party (PNP), which aimed for greater African involvement in the British colonial government. With the independence of Ghana in 1957, the PNP sought with this police the support of the educated elite as the party to lead a transition to independence. Stevens would later leave this party to form the northern supported All Peoples Congress. Upon independence in 1961, Milton Margai became Prime Minister, and the SLPP became the ruling party. The SLPP, along with almost all Sierra Leonean political parties, signed the constitution at the London constitutional conference, the APC being the main exception. This unity did not extend to national politics, as opposing politicians often faced detainment under SLPP rule.
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Wikipedia