No one knows what will be the next plan of President Julius Maada Bio as the work of the Election Investigation Committee (EIC) will not be completed in April, this year.
Two months was wasted without business owing to few political and security problems in the country which many believe are fuelled by those in power. Countless number of Sierra Leoneans have succumbed to the barrel of the gun after the installation of the EIC, a body charged with the responsibility of looking into the June 24, 2023 elections.
The attacks of November last year took away the lives of many Sierra Leoneans including police and military personnel a day before the committee was about to start its work with many pointing fingers at government as those responsible for the country’s security challenges.
The EIC came into existence after a communiqué was signed by the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) following a peace deal brokered by the Commonwealth, African Union and ECOWAS (Economic Community Of West African States).
The committee which was an alternative dispute resolution to Sierra Leone’s post-election stalemate should look into alleged irregularities of the June 24, 2023 elections. The committee is expected to end its work in April, this year, but another two months have been added as the committee does not start on time owing to political disagreements between the two main political parties.
Instead of April, the committee’s work will end in June, this year, and if it all goes as planned, it may even go beyond June if the security situation continues to degenerate. Now, fresh fear exists about what could be President Julius Maada Bio’s next plan as many have alleged that government is not ready to cooperate with the EIC, and could do anything to divert Sierra Leoneans’ attention from the tripartite committee.
The banning of commercial vehicles on the main motor road is one of the most unexpected and tough measures by the Bio regime. No government has never stopped commercial vehicles from plying the new road owing to the importation of new buses except Bio’s government which is bold enough to take such measure.
For many Sierra Leoneans, the ban does not help the country in any shape or form as it worsens poverty and economic hardship that is almost spiraling out of control. The general Feeling of a fight back by the people has gone viral among the public thus creating doubt about the work of the election investigation.
The struggle has not shown any sign of receding and what action will government take next is the other fear. At any time, there could be another breaches and measures which could be tougher than that the current ones with many saying it is part of an evasive scheme on the part of government.
President Bio himself, according to credible sources, is under threat by his SLPP comrades not to take part in a committee that will stand their way to an SLPP second term. Many are aware that the committee’s recommendation will not favour government as the people of Sierra Leone opt for a rerun that may badly affect the ruling party.
Resistance to the election probe has come in many subtle ways as SLPP Chairman, Dr Prince Harding was bold enough to refer to the international election observers as “academic dwarves” as smelled the rat about a regime change.
Initially, Speaker of Parliament Dr Abass Bundu publicly pronounced that APC should not hope to be restored to power by the international community saying those days had been relegated to the attics of history.
The parliamentary leader made the statement at a time APC staged a boycott of parliament and called for the investigation of the election results. Citing the Parliamentary Standing Orders, Dr Bundu threatened that the APC law makers would lose their seats if they absent themselves for three consecutive times without valid reason even when he knew that his party, SLPP did not win the elections.
The Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh was also highly resistant to an election probe as it took him time to accept the terms of reference that will guide the investigation.
Credible sources have also intimated this press that controversies still surround the terms of reference as SLPP members call for the investigation of other elections that preceded 2023 polls.
The struggle against the election investigation had started before the alleged rigging started as many said Konneh had been stubborn about the publication of the electoral register being the starting point of transparency and fairness in the entire process.
When subjected to pressure, Konneh would always argue that “Sierra Leone is a sovereign state” and no development partner has the right to control any of Sierra Leone’s public institutions.
In his resistance, Konneh will not hesitate to invoke a constitutional clause which shields his commission from direction and control by any person or authority in the exercise of his functions. Little does the election boss understand to mean that the clause does not protect him from question and critique when he goes off track.
On the contrary, Mr Konneh received millions of dollars from development partners particularly EU to conduct free and fair elections, but do not deliver on his mandate.
Much more dangerous was the pronouncement by President Bio that he would never hand over power to APC, a declaration that put Sierra Leoneans into fear. The argument has always been that where a sitting President refuses to hand over power after a defeat means violence, brutality, thuggery or an all-out conflict to create the desired change.
People say the election probe moves very slow as those who should blaze the trail appears not ready to do so. One of APC’s representatives, Dr Kelfala Marrah was said to have been wearied and frustrated by government’s delay tactics on the election investigation.
He expressed fear that the committee would not complete its work within the stipulated time, and the call to get the proceedings televised has been a loud and compelling one. The waste of sufficient time in the committee’s work even caught the attention of the international community particularly the United Nations and ECOWAS.
In a recent meeting at the United Nations Security Council, world leaders urged government to cooperate with the tripartite committee which represented hope and brighter future for Sierra Leone.
The sub-regional bloc, ECOWAS too expressed strong concerns about the delays and encouraged government to work with the committee and expedite the probe. United States is also encouraging government to submit to the investigation in the interest of peace, democracy and stability. The people have great confidence in the committee as they believe that they are ably represented in the committee.
US Ambassador to the United Nations visited Sierra Leone and announced a $1.5m package to boost the investigation of the tripartite committee. Officials of the diplomatic community in Sierra Leone have been making pressure to bear on government so that the investigation can speed up.
British High Commissioner, Lisa Chesney recently visited Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh and urged him to cooperate with the committee as the November 26 attacks should not eclipse the work of the tripartite committee.
Treading on similar path, US ambassador David to Sierra Leone, Bryan Hunt also called on government to facilitate the proceedings of the tripartite committee and that the event of November 26 should not make government walk away from the dialogue.
For many Sierra Leoneans, the lack of transparency and accurate information on the tripartite committee is also one of the main causes of the delay which might spark another controversy within political circles.