After six months of election probe by the Tripartite Committee, several recommendations are now in the hands of government, the international community and other relevant political stakeholders calling for several electoral reforms.
Another set of recommendations bordering on results examination and accountability will soon be brought to the public domain, but the people of Sierra Leone wanted to know the actual winner of the elections.
Despite several pronouncements by several agencies including international and local election observation missions about the outcome of the Tripartite Committee, the people are still kept in the dark as a new winner is yet to be identified.
Politicians on either side have claimed victory, a situation that hinges on the peace and security of the state.
While APC members are being assured of victory in days to come by their party leaders, Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh, on the other hand has been in ecstasy all this while as he celebrates with his SLPP colleagues that the game is over.
It is a situation of who is fooling who as the people gets different messages from different sources without knowing who to trust. If it comes out that Bio continues in the Office of President, it will be a fulfillment of his assurances of no more election until 2028.
However, according to official records laid hands on by this press, the Opposition leader, Dr Samura Kamara got 57.15 percent out of the total votes cast while the incumbent President Julius Maada Bio got slightly above 37%, but the election authorities endorsed Bio winner of the elections.
The results reconciliation forms submitted by the opposition, APC confirmed Kamara’s victory while SLPP, according to sources, failed to show evidence to counter claims by the opposition.
The exact figure of the elections came out after a protracted investigation that went on for eight months, and granted that the fact from the Tripartite Committee has been accepted, it is now safe to say that the wrong candidate occupies State House owing to a declaration by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL).
ECSL is a body charged with the responsibility of investigating alleged irregularities of the June 24, 2023 elections.
According to the Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh, the incumbent, President Bio got 56.17 percent of the total votes cast while the opposition leader, Samura Kamara scored 43.17 percent, and the announcement established President Bio winner without a run off contrary to wide public expectation.
The people of Sierra Leone including a key election observer group had expected a run off since no candidate would get the 55% constitutional threshold.
the pronouncement led to several controversies between the ruling party, SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party) as each side claimed to have won the election, a key factor that contributed to Sierra Leone’s fragile security situation.
Konneh’s pronouncement of Bio as winner of the elections was also seriously challenged by international and local election reports which indicated that the election “lacked transparency” at all stages.
Other international reports particularly the Carter Center report recommended that those who played a role in in undermining the elections must be brought to justice.
The local election watchdog NEW (National Elections Watch), a body organisations specialised in election observation and reporting also claimed that none of the candidates met the constitutional threshold of 55% needed to avoid a run off.
In a media interview, NEW chief, Marcella Samba Sesay said there was no winner in the first round and that the election had to be taken to a run off for fairness and credibility. Like international election observers, Marcella fled out of Sierra Leone to a haven owing to death threats by thugs linked to the ruling party.
Apart from subtle attempts to rig the election, political violence, according to reports, was also used to tilt the scale in favour of SLPP with APC supporters particularly those in the South-East regions on the wrong end.
Opposition supporters in Bo, Kenema, Kono, Pujehun, Bonthe, and Moyamba were allegedly tortured before, during and after the election to keep them out of politics.
Horrific memories about the burning of a dwelling house of Cecilia Ngobeh, APC chairperson in Bo district, would not easily fade from people’s minds.
The Horror stories also remain the same for dozens of women who were allegedly waylaid on a village lonely road in Pujehun district leaving them with several injuries.
APC supporters in Bonthe district, the home of President Bio, also came under attack and Satta Lamin, a prominent APC supporter in Kailahun, was also allegedly brutally gang-raped after the pronouncement of the election results.
State security forces were also brought into the political drama to lord it over opposition politicians and supporters as seen in spates of arrest and detention on trumped-up charges.
As thuggery became the order of the day in the electoral period especially in opposition strongholds, it was extremely difficult to see an effective political participation by the people of Sierra Leone as many failed to cast their votes.
The disagreement between the two main political parties prompted the formation of a Tripartite Committee to peacefully resolve the lingering post-election stalemate.
Now, work has been completed and reports have placed the opposition party, APC at an advantage, but it is yet unclear whether the ruling party will accept to implement any recommendation that will cost them the presidency.
But, political analysts, if is shown clearly that Samura Kamara is the winner of the elections, President Bio would be either admonished or compelled by the international community to hand over power or vouch for a fresh election.
Credible sources have linked the recent visit of the Senegalese President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye to Sierra Leone to an ECOWAS plan to ensure a peaceful power transfer in Sierra Leone without bloodbath.
It was reported that President Faye, during his visit, advised his Sierra Leonean counterpart to respect the provisions of the communiqué and recommendations of the Tripartite Committee.
Recently, Liberian Vice President also jetted in and discussed with Sierra Leone’s President although the main talking point was also kept as a closely guarded secret.
But, government sources also said the discussion did not stray too far from the country’s deteriorating political situation and the need for President Bio to honour the terms of the tripartite agreement.
What is going on Sierra Leone is reminiscent of the political situation going on in various parts of Africa with The Gambia being a recent case in point after former President Yayah Jammeh refused to give up power after losing the election to then opposition candidate, Adama Barrow.
Ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma was the first to visit the Gambia and admonished Jammeh to step down in the interest of regional peace and security, but the intransigent Gambian leader resisted.
The sub-regional bloc, ECOWAS came into the situation by issuing a tight deadline after another West African leader, then President of Equatorial Guinea visited Jammeh but failed to convince him to concede defeat.
A similar situation also took place in Cote d’voire in 2009 after Laurent Gbagbo refused to hand over power after losing the elections to Alhassane Ouattara, former opposition leader.
Gbagbo was removed from power by French forces alongside his wife, Gloria Gbagbo and handed over to the ICC (International Criminal Court) for trial. The over 80-year old man spent years in prison before he was allowed to see the light of day.
However, Bio is showing to the international community that his case is different’
He always argues that he is the winner of the elections and the APC fails to seek legal redress. However, APC preferred the Tripartite Committee to the courts, and Sierra Leone still tinkers on the edge of implosion if the Tripartite Committee fails.