A court in Georgia has indicted former US President for election fraud in the state of Georgia. Donald Trump stands accused overturning his 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden to earn a second term. The charge which comes after a two-year investigation, according to international news channels, is the latest in a string of election crimes against Trump.
Analysts say it is the most sweeping indictment against the former President who faces other charges in New York, Washington DC and Florida. Trump, according to Fulton County prosecutor, Fani Willis, has until August 25, to hand himself in to the. The former President has rejected the case calling it a “witch hunt” aims at derailing his 2024 re-election bid.
Trump’s latest indictment has become one of the hottest topics for discussion in Sierra Leone where a similar political situation obtains. Although June-24 ,2023 election has been widely condemned, President Julius Maada Bio still occupies Office of the President.
He allegedly connived with Chief Electoral Commissioner (CEC), Mohamed Kenewui Konneh to rig the elections in his favour. Konneh heads the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone, a body mandated by law to conduct all public elections in Sierra Leone. He conducted the multi-tier election results in June 24, this year and announced the results, three days later, in favour of President Bio. Konneh came under fire since he made the announcement as the rigging was naked and open.
Persistent demands have been made on the CEC to produce the results by polling stations and districts to determine the true winner of the elections. It is however a request Konneh has blatantly turned down being fully conscious of the dire consequences.
President Bio will lose the elections if the requested data is published. Sierra Leone is in a deep political stand 📴 owing to the disagreement between the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party and the opposition, All People’s Congress (APC).
It remains unclear, at the moment, whether there is a law under which Konneh and conspirators can be charged, and a debate however is on- going about who should be roped in.
Konneh or Bio? As it stands, many Sierra Leoneans are yet to agree on the prime suspect. Many point accusing fingers at President Bio while others say Konneh must be brought to justice. A popular argument holds that Konneh, as Chief Electoral Commissioner derives his powers from the 1991 Sierra Leone’s Constitution which is the highest of the land.
The law in question makes it explicit that in the exercise of his duties, the Chief Electoral Commissioner is not subject to the direction or control of any person or authority. Konneh is aware of this provision well, and also knows that he should take order from the President, and that he runs a risk if he does.
It was this provision that Konneh cited when he was requested to do the right thing especially the issue of “sub-standard” voter identity card. He is fully aware of this provision so much that when EU raised the red flag about his negligence in the he implementation of the 2018 electoral recommendations, Konneh replied that “Sierra Leone is a sovereign state.” For many Sierra Leoneans Konneh is more PAOPA than Bio himself, so he could announce any result in favour of SLPP.
On the other hand, many Sierra Leoneans say Bio should be indicted since he is the President. It has been argued that Bio ought to have known that he had lost the elections and should not interfere with the result, and he was expected to pave the way for a political transition.
By law and practice, the President signs the results first before they are announced by the CEC who is also the National Returning officer. By such supervision, Bio ought to have ensured that the true results are announced for peace and stability, and heads may roll where it fails.