The Commonwealth-led mediation team is shocked again after SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party) officials reject several options to end the stalemate in the interest of peace and national development.
The ruling party rejects a re-run, run off and publication of disaggregated data in the face of the mediators who too appear to go by the wind. They have respected and endorsed every wish of the ruling party. The defiance came about after SLPP refused to produce the genuine results and the disaggregated data as demanded by the mediators as well as opposition politicians.
Without the genuine result which has been one of the burning issues, there will be no alternative but the mediators should go for either a run off or rerun which has also been rejected outright.
According to the SLPP team, they are in no mood to accept to go in for either of the two options being fully aware of the consequences. Any option taken by the SLPP means an exit from state governance as voters’ zeal to kick them out still remains alive and well.
A run off however is better off for SLPP when one looks at the current parliamentary configuration.
SLPP has 82 parliamentarians while APC leaving 54 for APC, an arrangement that makes it difficult for any new President to govern effectively and efficiently.
A rerun is the most dangerous as there will be fresh registration and voting but without the Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh who many see as the cause of the stand off that has lingered for over three months.
With a rerun, the opposition leader, Dr Samura Kamara will emerge victorious as he is said to have won the June-24 election, but difficulty again to govern is another obstacle altogether.
SLPP’s defiance occurred in the third day of the national dialogue at the Bintumani conference in Freetown, a usual venue for solutions to national peace and security.
The dialogue commenced last Monday 16th October, this year starting off with statement making by representatives of the two main parties. The opposition leader took the mediators through several issues that had to do with grave human rights abuses that took place between 2018 and 2023.  Mass killings of civilians in opposition strongholds and failure of Mr Mohamed Konneh to respect the will of Sierra Leoneans were the most topical.
On the other hand, Dr Moinina Sengeh did not say much but touched on major achievements of his government in the last five years.
However, the rejection of the run off, rerun and non-publication of data has always been a strong government position. SLPP officials have always made it clear that the political situation will remain as it is: no rerun, run-off and publication of disaggregated data.
Ahead of the dialogue, Information Minister, Chernoh Bah made it clear that the election was over and the mediators would not be here to tell what government should do. He also informed Sierra Leoneans that the dialogue is about exploring a solution to end the stalemate so that Sierra Leone is put back on track.
“The dialogue is about how SLPP government will bring APC’s parliamentarians, mayors, chairmen and councillors to parliament and councils to work with government,” the Information Minister reiterated.
The minister’s claims were also buttressed by his deputy, Keketoma Sandi who is also quoted to have said “the election is over.”
The three-day dialogue has endorsed and enforced government’s stance in the election stand off, but the position of the electorate who bore the brunt of Bio’s rule remains unclear.
No one knows what is in the minds of the youth as they are figuring out which way to go. From the outset, the voters have insisted on getting their votes re-counted to have genuine results or a rerun held.
They threaten to embark on civil disobedience by way of protests and non-payment of taxes. The opposition leader is yet to meet his supporters to inform them about his decision to play second fiddle to a government which has committed horrendous crimes against the people of North-West regions in the past five years.
Most of the supporters also maintained that allegations of a sell-out to SLPP have become true.
Lately, APC’s opposition leader came under fire owing to surreptitious moves for political compromise. Kamara and his key executive officials were embroiled in bribery allegations to legitimise Bio’s government.
The officials including Kamara were tight-lipped about the allegations. They made little response even in the emergency press conference they held at the party headquarters in Freetown. The only assurance the opposition leader made was “I will not betray Sierra Leoneans.” He continued such weak utterances at the dialogue table saying “bring back our votes” without the heavy voice of a man who is representing victims of mass killings, arrest and imprisonment, police state and terror campaign.
For his soft stance, Kamara is now a darling boy to the ruling party whose officials have heaped praises on him. “Samura Kamara is a good man,” says Moinina Sengeh during a media interview, and other key SLPP members have also commended the cool and coy APC presidential candidate for statesmanship and patriotism.
How Samura Kamara could reach his supporters to tell them about his decision at the dialogue remains his biggest headache at the moment as voters’ main demand of a rerun has been ignored.
Even the publication of the disaggregated data was also an age-old contention that began before the election. The concern for the publication of the disaggregated data was raised by the opposition leader, Samura Kamara on the election eve.
In response, the election chief said it was not within his purview to release the data since it contained voters’ personal details. Konneh did not release the data even when Kamara issued a 72-hour ultimatum for his resignation or the demand for publication of data respected.
When calls for the publication intensified, Konneh was swift to say that he should not be controlled by any person or authority capitalising on a major constitutional provision that says “in the exercise of his functions, the Chief Electoral Commissioner is not subject to the direction or control of any person or authority.”
By his utterances, ECSL boss developed a narrow perception of the provision which merely talks about independence of any person occupying the office and does not mean that he should not be checked when he goes off track.
That provision is not peculiar to ECSL but other quasi-government offices such as Audit Service Sierra Leone, the Sierra Leone Police, Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces among others. The election chief also made similar response when he was accused of failing to implement the recommendations that emanated from the 2018 general elections.
In response to the allegation, Konneh told the international community that Sierra Leone was “a sovereign state” meaning no other entity had the right to tell what government what to do.
Coming events cast their shadows, and the time-honoured adage is true of Konneh as he announced Bio winner of the election on 27th June , this year, amid glaring irregularities and controversies.
The Chief Electoral Commissioner was not moved by protests and resistance to the election fraud. Â While arrested protesters were wailing in police and prison cells, Konneh celebrated Bio’s victory by offering him a certificate to confirm his presidency.
He displayed similar defiance at the dialogue when asked by the mediators to produce the genuine results. Samura Kamara’s weakness has just helped to strengthen impunity in Sierra Leone. This means a President can kill, maim, brutalise, abuse people’s rights and steal votes in daylight and do away with it. Bio is an epitome of such leadership.
As it stands, Kamara’s decision of respecting Bio’s wish with utmost hypocrisy is one of the most bitter pills to swallow, but the people’s response remains unknown.