By Ragan M. Conteh
As they have already succeeded in extending the 2022 local council elections to 2023, some Members of Parliament (MPs) from the opposition have disclosed in a secret meeting that the 2023 general elections should be postponed to 2024.
According to some APC MPs, pushing the elections to 2024 would give them the leverage to further benefit from government coffers to better prepare them to mobilise resources for re-contesting in their constituencies.
Our sources said most of the APC MPs that expressed their wish for the postponement of the 2023 elections to 2024 were new MPs ‘who think their return to Parliament is questionable due to their dismal performances in their constituencies’.
‘Others say they are ready to vote in favour of the postponement if the need arises because it will help them have more time in Parliament to undertake their usual personal benefits,’ our sources added.
Many supporters of the opposition are now calling on their parliamentarians to summon the Chief National Electoral Commissioner to justify his failing to update the voter registration process and that after they have succeeded in pushing the local council elections to 2023, there are fears that President Julius Maada Bio may now feel emboldened to push next year’s expected elections to 2024.
They said should President Bio succeed in pushing the elections beyond 2023, ‘his constitutional one term in office will be exceeded against the wishes of the people and the law’.
The failure of the Chief National Electoral Commissioner to table the NEC’s electoral date in Parliament and the voter registration processes is now raising serious doubts about the ruling party’s commitment to democracy.
However, serious questions are being asked about the role and sincerity of many of the opposition APC parliamentarians, whose marginal seats are under threat and are likely to lose next year’s elections or face de-selection by their local constituency APC branch.
‘Are they more concerned about losing their salaries? Are some of the opposition APC parliamentarians now conniving with their ruling SLPP counterparts to disenfranchise the people of Sierra Leone by prolonging the fiasco over changes of time limits and voter registration which may result in the extension of the life of this parliament?’ asked one of our sources.
Meanwhile, some leading contestants for the APC youth leadership have strongly criticised the alleged ‘political shenanigans now taking place in parliament’.
‘It has come to the notice of the public that the SLPP government seeks to extend the mandate of President Bio beyond the constitutionally required time. This more time issue we have all kicked against, because it’s unconstitutional and very undemocratic,’ the APC symbol contestant noted.
‘We are calling on members of parliament not to extend the term limit that has been slated by the National Constitution for conduct of elections. As the lead aspirant of the APC young generation leadership, I implore all APC members of parliament not to condone the passing of this bill to extend elections. This is just one way of entrenching the stay of a system that we have all criticised as corrupt, inept, and not responsive to the needs of the masses,’ added one Aminata Kamara said.
According to sources this medium spoke to on Tower Hill, the days of having one man deciding for the entire nation are long gone, adding: ‘The days of having members of parliament who think not of the consolidation of democracy, but dismantling the strong pillars of democracy are no more.’
In a similar situation, some MPs from the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) have also reportedly bragged about the postponement of the 2023 elections to 2024, stating that ‘New Direction can do anything without it being contested by anyone’, implying that the SLPP can do whatever it wishes without being taken to task.
They said they are going to push the election forward by a year because the Covid-19 pandemic has affected them a lot ‘and they are not even prepared to conduct any election’.
Recently, the SLPP public relations officer, Lahai Lawrence Lema stated over AYV radio that the 2023 elections might be held in 2024, ‘a statement that angered the people, who want elections to be conducted even today’, added one of our sources.
‘Many MPs are of the view that their coming back to the Well of Parliament is hanging on the balance, for which they are doing everything humanly possible to vote for the postponement of the 2023 general elections.’
The European Union and other international organisations have time without number called for election dates for the conduct of the 2023 general elections, adding that the conduct of elections will ease tensions and strengthen democracy in the country.