Claims of no other election till 2028 raises questions about the real purpose of the Tripartite Committee with many seeing it as a cool off period or another waste of time.
The Tripartite Committee is an election investigation body set up after a three-day day dialogue between the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) facilitated by the international community (Commonwealth, African Union and Economic Community Of West African States).
In an attempt to whittle down the importance of the committee, several government officials say it is not a court and therefore does not have powers to compel persons of interest to appear before it.
How can the committee carry out its mandate of thoroughly investigating the election without the support and cooperation of relevant parties.
Government officials however maintain that
the committee’s main role is to investigate allegations of irregularities of the June polls as well as previous election and make recommendations to government for electoral reforms and not for another election.
The election probe conducted by the Tripartite Committee breeds hope in voters especially those in the North-West regions, strongholds of the APC.
Voters especially those in the North-West regions were sure and certain that the opposition leader, Dr Samura Kamara won the polls, and the election probe will restore the people’s victory.
With such certainty, the people hope that there would be a rerun or fresh election or Samura Kamara declared winner.
such hope is being dashed by several government officials who often argue that there will be other election till the end of SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party) tenure in 2028. Such stance by SLPP members, supporters and sympathisers reinforce the notion that each President serves an interrupted 10 years. Despite repeated warning,
they perempt the outcome of the committee even before investigation is completed thus raising doubt about the successful accomplishment of the committee’s mission.
Recently, an official in the law office was blunt to say that the election probe is to ensure reforms for future elections and not for a rerun which has been of of key demands by the electorate.
The people of Sierra Leone wanted to see another rerun of the election or fresh election owing to reports by international and local election observation missions on the elections in Sierra Leone. The United Nations, European Union Commonwealth, Carter Center, African Union, G7+, ECOWAS indicated that the elections were not credible. Apart from allegations of subtle rigging tactics by the PAOPA regime, the EU report delved into the use of violence and political thuggery to harass and intimidate opposition politicians. Fatal shooting sprees on APC’s headquarters were incidents captured by the EU election report released few days to the dialogue between government and the APC.
Of course, the Carter report does not only condemn the june election but also recommends that those who undermine democracy in Sierra Leone should be held accountable. Even the local election observer group, NEW (National Elections Watch) condemned the electoral process. It’s head, Marcella Samba Sesay said no candidate in the election got the 55 per cent needed to avoid a run off although 56.17 per cent was awarded to the ruling party. These criticisms by such credible international bodies added to APC’s vehement resistance to PAOPA’s political victory.
But, according to the law officer, such is not the case implying that the allegedly rigged election of June 24, 2023 will stand.
Governance Advisor, Dr Emmanuel Gaima too minced no word in condemning any move for a rerun.
He said “there will be no rerun election till 2028 since what the committee is doing is for electoral reforms for future elections.”
Dr Gaima made the statement in a press briefing at New Brookfields hotel in Freetown attended by APC officials and members of the diplomatic community. Dr Gaima went further in undermining the Tripartite Committee by frowning at any attempt to invite the Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh who many see as the prime target for the election investigation.
Konneh heads ECSL (the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone), a body mandated by law to conduct and supervise public elections in Sierra Leone.
In the exercise of such function, ECSL is not subject to the direction or control of any person or authority to ensure that the right thing is done.
Despite ECSL’s centrality to the election investigation process, Dr Gaima says the election boss would not be coerced into appearing before the committee to render account of his stewardship to the nation.
Mr Konneh, according to sources, fear that the production of results that do not reflect the will of the people would render his action treasonable as political sovereignty belongs to the voters.
Sierra Leone’s constitution, the highest law of the land, states in section 5 that “sovereignty belongs to the people of Sierra Leone, from whom government, through this constitution, derives its powers, legitimacy and authority.”
It is through this constitutional clause that the people vote in a government to secure them and provide for their welfare needs and vote out those who renege on such responsibility.
It is therefore dangerous in a democratic state when the people think that they have been robbed of such power by the election authorities.
For many, such claim by top-ranking official is a real test for Sierra Leone’s democracy bordering on whether the allegedly flawed election investigation will go unchecked or not.
The claim of no rerun or any form of election was also recently supported by the Information Minister, Chernor Bah who said the election was done and dusted with no more rerun.
Other government officials maintain similar stance completely ruling out a rerun election. Such claims in the face of an ongoing election investigation renders the Tripartite Committee farcical with many seeing it as a mere white elephant or a toothless bull dog.
The downplay of the Tripartite Committee, according to opposition politicians, was laid by the SLPP Chairman who said his party will never hand over power to the APC either election or no election, and that President Julius Maada Bio determines who should be the next President.
The statement is a bombshell to the APC and Political analysts and social commentators see such move as the creation of a one-party state in the 21st century era.
These claims, without doubt, embolden SLPP politicians about a no rerun or other election although there is a widespread feeling that SLPP did not win the election.
However, to Sierra Leoneans’ greatest amazement, no opposition official challenged the no rerun claims peddled by SLPP politicians, not even Dr Kaifala Marrah, APC’s co-chair at the Tripartite Committee. While SLPP politicians are stiff with their stance,
Dr Marrah, on the other hand, has been cautioning his party members not to perempt the outcome of the Tripartite Committee. Such Many say it a cautionary note raised big suspicion of a sell-out fuelled by vaulting presidential ambition. Dr Marrah alongside other Tripartite Committee members have unsuccessfully challenged Dr Samura Kamara for the party’s flag and could be comfortable with the PAOPA’s much-trumpeted 2028 campaign to protect their political come back.
Other members: Alimamy Petito Koroma, Dr Richard Conteh, Prince Tholley and others also remain tight-lipped amid SLPP’s seeming desecration of the election investigation committee.
For many Sierra Leoneans badly affected by the agonies of the PAOPA regime, APC’s failure to respond to the no rerun claims represent a deep slumber on their part.
They however woke up when the US Ambassador, David Hunt threw his weight behind the ‘no rerun’ claims held by the SLPP.
Citing relevant Sierra Leonean laws including the constitution, the US diplomat made it clear that there would be no rerun since APC did not challenge the results in the courts.
He fervently argued that the the court is the only avenue for petitioning election results, according to the laws of Sierra Leone, adding that time for election petition had elapsed.
Such revelation ahead of the Tripartite investigation was a watershed moment for the APC, a party that had been working with the international community on every step of the way. Although hope is already betrayed, APC is somewhat hopeful since the US Ambassador said the party explored another option, the Tripartite Committee to determine the actual winner of the election. But, such effort is being derailed as a definite position has been taken by the international community.
It implies that they will not accept any rerun recommendation in the near future portraying the election investigators as those beating a dead horse.