President Julius Maada Bio’s last hope seems to have been dashed after ECOWAS (Economic Community Of West African States) urges him to implement provisions of the communique dated 16th October, 2023. The Sub-regional bloc made the call during the 64th ordinary session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of States and Governments.
“The Authority commends the signing of the agreement for national unity that emanated from the mediated dialogue between the government and the opposition, All People’s Congress party and urges all parties and other stakeholders to implement the agreement in good faith within the stipulated timeframe,” ECOWAS urged Sierra Leone Government.
According to the October communique, the election investigation should last for six months with effect from the day the day it came into effect. It is now close to a month when the peace document was put into force, but nothing concrete had taken place at the moment as government seems constrained with several socio-economic challenges.
The call from the sub-regional bloc comes at a time government has been suspected of dragging its feet in carrying out the investigation of the June-24 election fraud.
Some murky tricks on the proposed probe was laid bare when government attempted to include other organisations not provided for by the communique. The Election Investigation Committee (EIC) is tripartite consisting only SLPP, APC and the Development Partners.
Recently, a senior government official announced that the Inter-Religious Council, the Peace Commission and civil society organisations would be included in the EIC, a move that was hotly contested by the opposition as such move appears to be outside the law.
EIC, according to the October Communique, should be tripartite providing for a three-way leadership with its officials nominated by SLPP, APC and Development Partners.
With such composition, it is hoped that fairness would be put to the fore, and whatever recommendations made would be “actionable” and “implementable.”
The investigation of Sunday’s attacks seem to have overshadowed the election probe with many questioning when will it start. The delays, without any doubt, might have caused the ECOWAS appeal.
The UK and other development partners too have thrown their weight behind ECOWAS’s call to get to the crux of the investigation of the June-24 election fraud devoid of any political gimmick.
It has not taken a week when UK High Commissioner, Lisa Chesney urged the signatory to the communique, Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh to start the election probe although a coup investigation is ongoing.
“Now, more than ever, commitments made in the peace dialogue must be implemented to benefit all,” Ambassador Chesney reminded Sengeh as he assured government and other stakeholders of UK’s support.
APC officials including designated EIC co-Chair, Dr Kelfalla Marrah too recently discussed with the UK diplomat on the investigation of the fraud so that recent attacks on the state should not derail the investigation. The opposition re-echoed such stance in a recent press statement
“The All People’s Congress (APC) firmly condemns the dastardly acts of violence that occurred in Freetown on November, 26, 2023. The party has carefully followed these unacceptable violent events….and we are very much alarmed by the news that there was a breach of security at the Wilberforce Military Barracks in Freetown. However, the APC participated in the international community mediated dialogue in good faith, and we did so out of the desire for a peaceful resolution of the impasse. We have remained faithful to the implementation of the agreement, and will continue to do so on to the completion of the mandate of the tripartite investigation committee,” a portion of the press reads.
Opposition politicians also caution the public not to taint the attacks with the reality as political parties and other entities including the Carter Centre have maintained that the results of 24th June, 2023 elections are lacking in transparency and fraught with errors.
The EIC ought to have begun the probe last Monday, a day after the armed assailants raided police and army facilities in various parts of the capital, Fretown.
Sierra Leone’s political quagmire is traced back to June 27, 2023 when the Chief Electoral Commissioner, Moahmed Kenewui Konneh announced results that were discredited by local and international observers.
The election, observers say, is opaque in all stages: voting, counting, collation, tabulation and declaration of the incumbent candidate, President Julius Maada Bio winner of the elections.
Bio got 56.17 per cent leaving the runner-up, APC with 43.83%, a move that raised suspicion of election rigging in light of the political climate.
Dissatisfied with a regime which made several unfulfilled promises, South Easterners failed to show up at registration centres and most failed to vote.
National Elections Watch (NEW), a coalition of civil society organisations that have been observing and reporting elections in Sierra Leone condemned the results outright claiming that the process was rigged.
Relying on PRVT (Process and Results Verification for Transparency) NEW Chief, Marcella Samba Sesay minced no word in announcing that none of the candidates secured the 55% constitutional threshold needed to avoid a run off.
The international community particularly EU also stated that the electoral process was rigged and demanded the publication of the voter register as well as the results by polling stations and districts.
But, the demand appears to be a herculean task for the election authorities, but the investigation might prove otherwise.
Sierra Leoneans too support ECOWAS’s call on parties to the communique to start looking into the June-24 election fraud as provided by a communique singed by the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC).
Had it gone as planned, the election investigation would have reached its 12th day despite controversies over its composition. A teacher and activist, Ibrahim Bangura is among those calling for the investigation of June-24 election, but equally does not lose sight of the coup probe.
“Peace and security is very much important and I wanted government to investigate thoroughly the circumstances leading to the attacks on the police and military armouries. That notwithstanding, I also wanted to see the election fraud looked into for us to get out of the ugly security situation,” he appealed.
Bangura believed that most of the country’s security problems emanated from the June polls which, he said, was hallmarked by visible election irregularities.
“Once the election issue is settled, there will be peace in the land,” he expresses hope as he calls on authorities to respect every aspect of the communique for better and stronger electoral reforms.
Despite contrary arguments, Bangura says, the electoral investigation is the surest way for “peaceful co-existence” as it will show where the electoral authorities buckle their feet.
“The investigation will tell us what happens, why it happens and what can be done to prevent it from happening again,” Bangura says as he brings back the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report, 2004 to memory.
Sierra Leone, he says, is enjoying lasting peace after the TRC investigated causes of the war and made recommendations which successive governments has been implementing over the years though not completely.
Bangura’s concerns are shared by a veteran female opposition politician who spoke to this press on condition of anonymity.
“I condemn the coup in the first place and support the investigation so that perpetrators could be brought to justice for the peace and sanity of the state. However, we want the election probe to commence so that we can know the direction we are going as a nation,” she appealed.
Coming from an economic angle, the veteran politician sees no hope for economic prosperity as long as the country remains in its present state.
The economic hard times, she says, would continue to weigh down on the people especially vulnerable groups as she looks at the funding cut and visa restrictions imposed by the international community with the United States taking the lead.
Key officials that allegedly played a role in the rigging will not enter the US until the election fraud is investigated.
With such measures in place, she says, the country will continue as most of its aid comes from outside especially budget support. “Sierra Leone hardly forgets about the financial support it has been enjoying from the United States and other countries after the war to date, and the current situation will not help the country,” she said.