Fear of betrayal of the Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh ahead of a Commonwealth-brokered mediation is widespread at the moment. Konneh heads the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone, a body mandated by law to conduct and supervise all public elections in Sierra Leone.
Although the negotiation will be centered between the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) and ECSL (Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone), Bio will have a key role to play as the buck stops with him during electioneering.
Bio must explain what transpired between him and the election chief that led to his declaration as President against the wish and will of the people of Sierra Leone.
Confronted with such questions in the near future, Bio is sure to shift the blame to the election chief who he always referred to as an independent authority heading an independent entity.
Ahead of the peace talks, Bio made similar claims during a speech at an American university that “ECSL is an independent entity and has no power and authority over them.”
Bio made the claim while alleging that he was called by the United States to stop the election commissioner from announcing the June results.
Indeed, the Constitution of Sierra Leone, 1991 establishes Office of the Chief Electoral Commissioner as an independent entity.
Section 32 of the Constitution says that “in the exercise of any functions vested in it by this constitution, the electoral commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority.”
The clause, in content or effect, confers operational independence on the election chief although the President oversees his work.
In any electoral process, the President signs before the elections results are announced.
However, Konneh seems to be highly subservient to government so much that he could take the highest risk of declaring Bio winner although he did not win the election.
Rigging or stealing of votes, according to Professor Nic Cheeseman, do not occur on the day of counting, but it is a product of a long-term planning not only by the election chief alone but other players.
He has to seek the support and cooperation of several agencies particularly the security forces which usually come in to terrorise the populace.
Konneh started the rigging plan long ago after he was appointed ECSL boss by failing to implement recommendations that emanated from the 2018 elections.
Criticisms in an EU press release dated 21st October, 2021 about his failure to implement the recommendations could not stop the plan.
His only response was “Sierra Leone was a sovereign state” meaning no one should dictate to him as far as the conduct of the election is concerned.
The debate about election integrity went on for weeks if not months as other election management officials were similarly accused.
Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC), the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) and the judiciary were came under fire for lack of integrity in the conduct of the elections.
Sierra Leoneans witnessed firsthand how PPRC has been playing double standards in their regulation of the political parties.
Most times, PPRC Chief, Abdulai Massinade Bangura would impose fines on opposition political parties for minor breaches of the code while SLPP was spared.
Of course, SLP is notorious for its relegation to a terror tool as they targetted voters by firing teargas and live rounds even during voting.
Voters were also arrested during registration over allegations of taking part in the August 10, 2022 demonstrations that led to the death of six police officers.
The judiciary plays the sinister cover-up during elections as their verdicts hardly in favour of the opposition.
The endorsement of the proportional representation system by way of a Supreme Court verdict, and the removal of 10 opposition parliamentarians by high court are clear indicators of absence of neutrality in the judiciary.
Like ECSL, they also put up similar resistance instead of coming up with a reformist agenda within which they could right mistakes of the past.
When concerns about the non-publication of the disaggregated data was raised, Konneh was also robustly resistant to such move saying “there is no law that compels him to release the data since it contains voters’ personal details.
By citing such law, Konneh seems completely ignorant about the basic operation of the law on election. His refusal to produce the disaggregated data is not supported by law although he claims legal backing for his illegal action.
Since the introduction of multi-party democracy, no election has taken place in Sierra Leone in which voters’ register is not produced ahead of the elections. Past Chief Electoral Commissioners have always been compliant with the publication of the disaggregated data ahead of voting.
Such move builds democracy in Sierra Leone by ensuring transparency, freedom and fair play. Publication of the voters’ register before voting enables election stakeholders to know how many people that should vote and they can easily detect rigging.
In 1996, 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2018 elections, disaggregated datas were published, why not 2023 elections? Konneh also failed to listen to concerns of foreseen election irregularities raised by the opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) ahead of voting.
Issues relating to sub-standard and faceless voter cards, non-disclosure of the exact number of voters and lack of transparency were put to ECSL for rectification, but the demands were rejected outright.
ECSL’s seeming indifference to APC’s plight prompted the party’s presidential candidate to assemble APC members at the New Brookfields hotel in Freetown where he declared a 72-hour ultimatum for the Chief Electoral Commissioner and his men to resign.
In a counter press conference, Konneh responded to APC that he would not resign, and stance was also supported by SLPP Chairman, Dr Prince Harding who also similarly convened a press conference at SLPP headquarters in Freetown.
“Konneh will not resign; he is going to conduct the elections,” SLPP Chairman openly challenged APC.
The SLPP Chairman also lashed out at the international community owing to suspicion of colluding with the opposition. Harding had wanted to see the international community openly condemn APC about the 72-hour ultimatum he issued to government.
The public was amazed at SLPP’s insistence that Konneh must conduct the elections at all cost. On June 27, 2023, Konneh implemented what many said he had been planning for years. He declared Bio winner of the elections with 56.17 percent of the polls reserving slightly above 43 percent for the APC.
Although Konneh came under fire by local and international election observation missions because of his daylight robbery of the votes, he still stood on his grounds that SLPP was the actual winner of the elections.
Amid the row that followed after his announcement in June 27, this year, Konneh recently presented a certificate of victory to President Bio which marks a glaring attempt at legitimising Bio’s presidency amid citizen’s anger and vexation.
In the face of deteriorating political situation compounded by democratic backsliding, Konneh refused to produce genuine results by polling stations and districts as demanded by the international community and the opposition.
Ahead of the Commonwealth mediation, reliable sources have intimated this press that the production of the genuine result will be the first issue to be debated on the negotiation table. Should Konneh fail to respond to the request, a re-run will be the only way out for Sierra Leone.