In a speech addressed to his supporters in the APC and Sierra Leoneans at large on the Tripartite Committee Report, the APC presidential candidate and flagbearer, Dr. Samura Kamara said the Tripartite Committee was born out of a necessity by both the APC and the SLPP government, supported by international partners to restore faith in our electoral processes and to ensure that the will of the people is upheld in the most transparent and credible manner possible.
After President Julius Maada Bio was declared winner of the 24 June 2023 election by the ECSL with 56.1% of the vote, Dr Samura said “this announcement was met with significant resistance and allegations of irregularities from the opposition, the All Peoples Congress (APC) party and local and international election observers.”
Dr. Kamara said the APC, along with several observers, raised serious concerns about the electoral process, before, during and after the elections, including a widely condemned mid-term census, the introduction of the District Block Proportional Representation system with limited consultation, the high threshold that restricted smaller parties’ participation, and issues with the voter register. “Operational challenges such as the poor quality of voter identification cards and delayed delivery of ballot boxes further exacerbated the situation. Allegations of bias and partisanship within the ECSL cast a shadow over its integrity and impartiality not only to conduct the elections but also to announce the election results,” noted the APC flagbearer.
These issues, he went on, led to a heightened state of tension and mistrust between the ruling SLPP government and the opposition APC. To address this political impasse, Dr Samura said a three-day mediated dialogue was organised and facilitated by the African Union, ECOWAS, the Commonwealth, and the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC), which resulted to the “Agreement for National Unity” signed between the Government of Sierra Leone and the APC that further led to the establishment of the Cross-Party Committee on Electoral Systems and Management Bodies Review, known as the Tripartite Committee.
“This committee was tasked with a vital mission: to review and examine the electoral systems, structures, and processes of the 2023 elections and previous electoral cycles. Its mandate included assessing the legal framework, operational capacity of the ECSL, and proposing reforms to enhance transparency and credibility in future elections. The Committee was co-chaired by the Government, APC and the development partners and was composed of seven members each from the government and the APC. Its deliberations also included engagements with representatives from civil society organisations, other critical state institutions and a wide spectrum of stakeholders across the country, thereby ensuring a comprehensive and inclusive approach to its work,” he explained.
Thanking the APC team, ably led by Dr. Kaifala Marah, comprising Dr. Richard Konteh, Hon. Ambassador Alimamy Petito Koroma, lawyer Boniface Sidikie Kamara, Mr. David Fornah, Madam Bernadette Kargbo, and Mr. Prince Tholley, he said the Committee finally succeeded in making 80 recommendations. However, despite the presentation of the report, Dr. Samura said two distinct perspectives are reflected in the Committee’s Report, as presented by the APC and SLPP representatives. This is the point of diversion in the report where the APC stated the extant issues they hope to be addressed.
“As stated on page 53 of the Report, the APC holds that statistical inconsistencies call into question the results declared by the ECSL and demands a re-run of the 2023 elections, to be facilitated by the ECOWAS Commission, and the immediate resignation of the personnel of electoral management bodies. The government on the other hand, maintains that the results as declared by the ECSL are valid. These divergent positions are fully articulated in the respective analyses annexed to the Tripartite Report.” The APC flagbearer then went on to name unresolved issues in the Tripartite Committee process, adding: “Yes, this diversity and other very important contentious issues, including ensuring the transparency and credibility of electoral processes, addressing the legal framework governing elections, and accountability and improving the operational efficiency of the ECSL, remain unresolved. These are currently at the top of our priority list, and we are working diligently with our international development partners to resolve them expeditiously,” he promised.
The man declared the loser in the highly contentious 24 June 2023 presidential election said the APC have consistently demonstrated their belief in the tenets of democracy, and in every democratic election, it is vital that voters understand how their votes are counted and who, among all the candidates, received the highest number of votes, based on a transparent and fair counting process. “Unfortunately, this fundamental right has been denied to us, as voters by the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL). The ECSL has failed to provide transparency in how the votes were tallied. One of their excuses is that they are not required by the Constitution of Sierra Leone to be transparent in this regard. Another excuse is that the Results Reconciliation Forms (RRFs) are classified information. This lack of transparency is deeply troubling. Moreover, the ECSL has been unable to produce any credible evidence of the numbers they assigned to all candidates in the elections. Equally alarming is the fact that the SLPP party, which was declared the winner, has also failed to provide any credible evidence to support the votes they were assigned. It is indeed strange that both the elections management body and the party declared as winners cannot produce tangible evidence to support their claims. This coincidence is too significant to ignore,” said Dr. Kamara.
He said the APC provided evidence in the form of verifiable Results Reconciliation Forms (RRFs) from 70.2 per cent of polling stations nationwide, signed by ECSL officials, party agents and observers, which showed that Dr. Samura Kamara had a commanding lead with 57.15 per cent of the votes, making it impossible for the SLPP candidate to win at the first ballot. Dr. Samura said the APC has also been able to demonstrate the gross inconsistencies and mathematical impossibilities in ECSL’s partial 60 per cent and final 100 per cent announced presidential results, which only confirmed reports and scepticism by local and international elections observers. “Considering these findings, one of our key recommendations is for a rerun of the elections to be conducted by ECOWAS immediately. This step is essential to restoring the faith of the people in our electoral process and ensuring that the true will of the Sierra Leonean people is reflected in the results. The integrity of our electoral process is the bedrock of our democracy. The voters of Sierra Leone deserve to know that their votes are counted accurately and transparently. The ECSL’s refusal to provide this transparency undermines the very foundation of our democratic system. Our voters must have faith in the electoral process, and it is the duty of the ECSL to ensure this faith is upheld. The failure to produce the RRFs and the subsequent excuses offered are unacceptable. We must demand accountability and transparency in our elections to maintain the trust of the people,” implored Dr Samura.
He called for the people to stand together in our demand for a transparent and fair electoral process, continue to support the principles of democracy and ensure that the will of the people is respected and accurately reflected in the election results. The APC flagbearer said he and the party’s leadership have been, for the past twelve months, totally immersed in the struggle for electoral justice, the fight to protect the people’s votes. “This has been a very difficult battle to save our democracy. At the same time, we have had to navigate the rough seas of doubters, mis-informers, dis-informers and distractors, and I can assure you that it has not been easy but also not insurmountable. In spite of all those troubles, it is my firm conviction that our country must now depart from the “old normal”, which is, the business-as-usual style of politics. There can be no progress, no democracy where the people are ignored and deprived of their right to choose. This is the desired politics for the people. In light of what we see happening in many parts of the world, it will be insane for us, political leaders, civil society and international partners, to disregard the people’s demand for electoral justice in Sierra Leone. The sore that was opened in June 2023 cannot be healed unless it is cleaned,” he noted.
Dr. Kamara said what happened in Sierra Leone in June 2023 is a precedent, a very bad precedent, which, if not corrected, will be a template for future political parties to copy. “In this regard, those who think that the same ECSL that conducted the disastrous 2023 elections will miraculously change and conduct a clean, credible and transparent election in 2028 are certainly dreaming. New laws will not change old, bad habits. Therefore, if the current ECSL leadership and personnel are not held accountable for the mismanagement of elections in 2023, they will surely be emboldened, and will close their ranks in order to deal the final blow on democracy in Salone.”
Dr Samura said he chose to address his supporters this way and not through a press conference because the memories of the days following the 2023 elections are still fresh in his mind. “We lost nurse Mahawa and White boy, when State security forces shot at APC supporters, who had gathered at our headquarters in anticipation of the announcement of ECSL results. May their souls and the souls of all those who lost their lives at the hands of security forces in that election rest in perfect peace,” he noted.
Although he has many faults, Dr. Samura said he has been very careful to avoid allowing his ambition for power to put the lives of his innocent supporters at risk. For some people, this may appear as a weakness, but he said he is convinced that it is a measure of respect for the dignity of human life. “At the same time, many have accused me unjustly of selling out the right of the people. Both actions are not and will never ever be my way of life. My personal choice remains to avoid these acts and remain, as always throughout my fulfilled professional career, a trusted servant of the people and country. Where I come from, honesty, reliability and integrity are compelling and demonstrated priorities. I do not believe in using the bullet or money to win power simply because I don’t know how to do that, and even if I have the power to do so, I certainly will not,” he clarified.
Going forward, Dr. Samura called on the APC that the battle for electoral justice must now be owned by all levels of leadership in the APC, from ward to constituency, from district to region, and from Samura Kamara to the party leadership. He said this is not a time for recrimination but rather a time to look at the cumulative turn of events that have brought us to where we are as of now, adding that we cannot continue to be enablers of such massive electoral fraud.
“If we do not unite to save democracy now, trust me, we will lose the soul of our party forever. As a party we need to demonstrate a willingness to defend the rights of our people. The national party leadership has been very active to bring us to where we are today. It is now the responsibility of the party to unite around the continued fight for electoral justice. The international community, Civil Society Organizations, the media, religious leaders, and traditional heads may be diplomatic but cannot be neutral, in terms of upholding the truth and ensuring that the right thing is done in the interest of the citizens of this country. They have been in many ways an integral part of this journey, providing strategic technical, advisory and financial support. They must continue to bear responsibility likewise for any fundamental slippages, going forward, in our urge for freedom and democracy. Together, we must all stand for electoral truth and justice,” he said.
Speaking like a true democrat, Dr Samura reminded his supporters that whatever it takes, the mandate of the people should take precedence over the convenience of a political party or personal political ambition, saying the implementation phase of the recommendations in the Tripartite Committee’s Report, soon to follow, cannot and must not ignore addressing the inconclusive matter of the election results. He said emphasis on electoral management, legal and institutional reforms, though important going forward, can never ever cure the electoral wrongs of 2023 elections, and that is why, as a people’s party, the APC will continue to demand a re-run.
“This recommendation by the APC for a rerun of the elections is the only way legitimacy can return to Government, and democracy rescued. There has been a huge gap between what the electorates are seeking and what we are giving them as politicians. Going to the 2023 elections, the people were increasingly angered by the high cost of living, the collapse of our currency, high taxation, high cost of electricity, transportation and food items, public institutions wrecked by unprecedented politicization and state capture, stagnating economic growth, and diminishing opportunities for employment and better livelihoods. It was against this background of untold hardship that they came out in huge numbers against all odds to vote for change of political party and leadership, which, was denied. The ECSL’s election results make stark reading. The APC and I will continue to honour the trust you place in us, and I, personally, will continue to appreciate and honour your trust and strength in me. It is not over until it is over! It is not done and dusted!” promised Dr. Samura Kamara.
Dr. Samura clarified that the dialogue continues and that the APC are not relenting in their pursuit of justice and truth. He said building and strengthening democracy is a life-time journey as we must continue talking to each other and moving together. “Let us all think of our legacy in a Sierra Leone that is in post-conflict and democratic transition. The APC is steadfast in ensuring that every vote is counted accurately and transparently, and that the will of the Sierra Leonean people is respected. Our commitment to democracy and the rule of law remains unwavering. Let us not be swayed by doubts or misinformation. The journey to resolving these issues is on-going, and we are making significant progress. Understandably, public attention and interest have been focused on the conclusions and report of the Tripartite Committee. However, it should not be forgotten that there are other important aspects of the Agreement for National Unity, which still remain unaddressed or un-concluded. These include, among others, the release of political prisoners, the removal of politically motivated court cases, the safe return of persons in exile for political reasons, and setting up a mechanism for sustainable inter-party dialogue. The spirit of the Agreement is also meant to put an end to the targeted harassment and intimidation of the opposition, directly or indirectly,” he concluded while calling on the people and his supporters to stay peaceful, united and hopeful.