In a overt attempt to evade accountability, the ruling party, Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) is pushing for the investigation of all elections held before June 24, 2023.
Such call forms part of the Terms of Reference adopted by the Election Investigation Committee and APC’s silence presents the opposition as one playing second fiddle to SLPP.
Pain and agony seems to have gripped the public as APC keeps mesmerising a party that has wrecked the country after stealing the people’s votes.
Also, one of the most popular arguments hold that it is not all elections that are contention, but specifically June 24, 2023 polls which is a bit strange, bizzare and ridiculous.
Unlike previous elections, June polls are the electoral processes in which the Chief Electoral Commissioner refused to publish the data after registration of voters.
Publication would have been a fundamental step towards transparency, honesty and fairness.
However, Konneh was blunt and firm in his stance that he would not release the data, and no one could compel him to do so arguing that ECSL was an independent entity.
The agency is not subject to the direction and control of any person or authority.
Konneh also argued that the electoral register contained personal details of voters and its publication amounts to an invasion of privacy, an argument that appears to be the most absurd.
In what appears a clear challenge to the world at large, Konneh declared that Sierra Leone was no longer a colonial state and therefore not subject to the dictate of any other country including Britain, Sierra Leone’s former colonial power.
It was also June, 2023 elections that the results were not published by polling centres and districts as demanded by a vast majority of Sierra Leoneans and the international community.
The results announced, according to the observers, did not reflect the will of the majority of voters, and credible sources also indicated that the election results was a direct order from the powers that be.
It was also June elections that the election observers and party agents were not allowed to witness the various stages of the elections especially the tally process.
Reports also showed that government threatened international election observers immediately after the elections, a factor that accounted for their early departure from Sierra Leone.
The ruling party Chairman, Dr Prince Harding was bold to refer to the election observers as “academic dwarves.”
It was also the June, 2023 elections that the Chief Electoral commissioner was appointed under dubious and illegal circumstances.
The Constitution of Sierra Leone, 1991 being the country’s highest law provides that the ECSL boss should hold no post in government at the time of appointment.
Contrary to legal demands, Mohamed Konneh was Director-General of Financial Intelligence Unit in the Ministry of Finance, and his appointment was upheld even when there was a big hue and cry from the opposition camp.
The law also states that all leaders of opposition political parties must be consulted on the appointment of the Chief Electoral Commissioner, but were never consulted not even the Chairman and Leader of the main opposition, All People’s Congress.
Instead, former Head of State, Ernest Koroma who was the party’s leader at that time was informed by President Bio via mobile phone on Konneh’s appointment.
It was also June-24 elections that were completely discredited by all local and international election observation missions. No election observer or agency accepted the outcome of the elections meaning there were significant irregularities prompting an investigation while this is not the case for other elections.
It was only June-24 elections that the purported winner, Julius Maada Bio held no inauguration close to a year after the elections, and also appealed to the opposition leader that he would like work with him.
Such call for cooperation is a subtle apology that shows that does not genuinely win the elections.
If, the tripartite committee is to dance to to SLPP’s tune, the tripartite committee will have to look into 1996, 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2018 elections with no one knowing what they are looking for.
Those elections have been conducted, announced and winners accepted to govern, and their regimes are now history and why going back to those elections?
The 1996 elections were conducted by President Julius Maada Bio himself while he led the National Provisional Ruling Council which toppled APC government in April, 1992.
A UN official, James Jonah conducted the elections announcing President Ahmed Tejan Kabba winner defeating his main challenger, Dr John Karefa Smart of the United National People’s Party.
Honourable Thaimu Bangura, then leader and presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party immensely contributed to SLPP’s victory. Kabba took the oath office and set up his government with the recognition and acceptance of the people of Sierra Leone.
His first-term mandate expired in 2001, and the elections were held in 2002 with Walter Nicol as Chief Electoral Commissioner.
President Kabba scored another resounding victory in the polls which paved the way for his second term, and there was peace and tranquillity all over people. The people accepted him owing to his great achievement of ending the war and uniting the country.
In his days, Kabba put together a broad-based government of national unity for which he got accolades, but left the stage in 2007 when time was up. Dr Christiana Thorpe who was appointed by the ruling party announced former President Ernest Bai Koroma winner of the elections.
Again, the election got wide acceptance owing to its credibility despite few controversies around owing to the cancellation of hundreds of polling centres in Kailahun district.
President Koroma’s inauguration was attended by Presidents from other countries and a corps of diplomats signalling tight and fruitful cooperation ahead.
Like Kabba, Koroma’s first-term mandate ended in 2012 and another election was held in the same year with Ernest Koroma emerging winner for the second time beating then challenger, Julius Maada Bio now President.
The election was approved to be free and fair by international and local election observation missions despite legal challenge put up by President Bio. His lawsuit was thrown out owing to procedural errors.
The dust however settled after the controversies with President Koroma continuing his national development projects.
Koroma was rated the most successful President in Sierra Leone’s political history in terms of development, recognition and protection of fundamental human rights, respect for democratic principles and most importantly unprecedented tolerance to opposition politicians.
He was widely loved and respected by the people of Sierra Leone even when his mandate was at an end.
Towards the election in 2018, a new Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed N’fa Alie Conteh replaced Dr Christina Thorpe. In March of the same year, the election boss announced President Bio winner of the 2018 polls although there were mathematical inaccuracies as Sierra Leone had never had a 103% of the total votes cast.
It was however that the wrong percentage was a manipulation to ensure a regime change as the international community never wanted APC to go again for the third term.
APC had more parliamentary seats than SLPP and it was quite difficult for a party with more seats in a free and fear election to lose the presidential seat.
The real winner, Dr Samura kamara vowed to challenge the election results but later gave up the fight since the election results was said to be free and fair by international and election observations missions.
But, for June, 2023 it is the international community that is fighting for Samura Kamara knowing fully well that Bio is not the winner.
Therefore, if the tripartite says it will all look into all other elections that were endorsed to be free and fair by local and international observers, it reflects the same move adopted by Francis Ben Kelfala who attempted to investigate former first ladies instead of the current one, Fatima Bio who was embroiled in corruption scandals.