President Kabbah Meets Canadian Legislators
By Yusuf Alghali

President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah has told the visiting group of representatives of the Canadian House of Commons that Sierra Leoneans had long been experimenting with different forms of governance since the post-colonial era, but observed that they "have finally decided that the best way to go is parliamentary democracy".

Speaking during the parliamentarians' courtesy call on him at the Lodge today, the President recalled that Sierra Leone had tried military dictatorships, one party democracy, followed by a gruesome rebellion and now multi-party parliamentary democracy.

President Kabbah, also a member of the Sierra Leone parliament, said he was pleased to hear about the experiences the visitors had gained from and shared with their Sierra Leonean counterparts, pointing to the historical connections existing between Canada {Nova Scotia}and Sierra Leone.

He spoke highly of Canada's Prime Minister Jean Chretien, who he said had been generous in helping Sierra Leone to further her reconstruction and development aspirations. He thus took the opportunity to express thanks and appreciation to the government and people of Canada for "the interest demonstrated in our problems as well as the kind hand of assistance you have been extending to us".

The Canadian Members of Parliament, who are touring selected countries in the sub-region, have just concluded a two-day seminar with their Sierra Leonean counterparts, an exercise which the delegation leader Hon. Robert Kilger (MP) described as valuable.

Kilger said he had been "struck by the diverse makeup of the Sierra Leone parliament", which included teachers, doctors, journalists, bankers and good family men. "We came to share the Canadian experience with you and we've learnt a great deal in return," Mr. Kilger told President Kabbah, while also commending what he called "the generosity of the time" they had been given.

He praised the efforts of President Kabbah, who, together with local parliamentary representatives, are "serving the people of Sierra Leone as builders of peace".