In August 10, 2022, protesters urged President Julius Maada Bio to step down owing to economic hardship. This time, the same protesters demand the resignation of the Chief Electoral Commissioner (CEC), Mohamed Konneh owing to visible incompetence.
Sierra Leoneans are not sure of Konneh’s ability to conduct and supervise June-24 election as lawfully provided.
The CEC failed to print quality voter identity cards and to release the voters’ register. The protesters, at this stage, demand fresh registration, clear voter ID cards, accurate data to be released on time, free, fair and credible elections.
Since they no longer trust that Konneh is competent enough to meet these demands, they ask him to go.
The protesters need new faces at ECSL to deliver credible elections.
It is not clear whether a new commissioner will be appointed since parliament has shut down. But, there is hope that an emergency meeting of Parliamentarians will be summoned to approve a new commissioner if one is appointed. The protest, reliable sources say, will be staged across the country, and every Sierra Leonean is encouraged to come out.
Protesters will assemble at all ECSL buildings in Makeni, PortLoko, Bo, Kenema and the headquarters here in Freetown demanding Konneh’s resignation. No ECSL official, at the moment, could be contacted for their views about the protest.
The protesters however promised that they would conduct themselves within the the law as no weapon of any sort shall be possessed by any protester.
Similarly, they caution forces of law and order not to cross the borderline. The police and the army are encouraged to be mindful of their duty to protect life and property.
The protesters vowed to robustly resist the police and the army if they kill any of their colleagues.
A credible source has also intimated this press that President Bio has assured the international community that there will be no casualty this time.
He would ensure that the police act professionally towards the protesters. In spite of the President’s assurance of professionalism, the police appear to go the other way. They promised to ensure a robust deployment nation-wide to stop the protesters.
During a press conference at Police Headquarters, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in Charge of Operations, Brima Jah said regional and divisional commanders would work with the army brigade and battalion commanders to ensure that the protesters are contained. The means of containment however remains unclear.
Mr Jah who sounded a bit in disfavour of protesters threatened that the security forces would come down heavily on anyone who threatened to disrupt the country’s peace.
He made specific reference to claims of making Sierra Leone ungovernable if one lost ,the elections. The operations strong man however acted in defence of President Bio. “When President Bio lost the elections, he went to London and study. He never said he would disrupt the peace of the state,” Jah recounted.
If police would stick to professional standards during the protest remains a wait-and-see affair.
The ECSL Chief, Konneh who is the key target of today’s demonstrations appears deficient in electoral experience. Basic research shows that he has never served at the election agency. He was single-handedly picked up by President Bio from the Financial Intelligence Unit, Ministry of Finance to head such a sensitive public agency.
His appointment was controversial and illegal since important provisions of the constitution were boycotted.
Prior to his appointment, Konneh was a government official. The law demands that he ought to have resigned 12 months before taking up office at ECSL.
The law also states that leaders of political parties should be consulted before appointment. These provisions used to be the norm for all election chiefs but not in Konneh’s case. The incompetencies which are now the subject for protests and litigations are not in doubt.
Further investigation have also shown that although Konneh is the head of the election, he is not the mastermind of the rigging tactics at ECSL.
Accusing fingers are being pointed at the Southern Electoral Commissioner, Edmond, Alpha as the key architect.
He has stayed too long at ECSL and knows rigging methods than any other commissioner there, but uneasy lies on the head that wears the crown. Edmond Alpha’s obsession to retain Bio as President knows no limits.
He would go to greater lengths to verbally attack members of the diplomatic community for merely going in for free and fair elections.
A recently leaked audio shows how partisan Edmond Alpha is. He went against those who are calling for regime change. The election management bodies particularly ECSL were accused of dishonesty and untrustworthiness by EU in a press release of October, 2021.
Bent on rigging the election, ECSL failed to implement recommendations made by international and local election observers. Instead of cooling down troubled waters, the Chief Electoral Commissioner responded that “Sierra Leone is a sovereign state” which means it is free from external control.
Konneh also recently stated that nobody should question him about whatever he does at ECSL. Many Sierra Leoneans were lost in wonders when Konneh made such utterance. He relies on the constitutional provision that says in the exercise of his duties, he is not subject to the control or direction of any person or authority.
But, the clause does not however say Konneh should not be questioned when he goes off track. The seeds of the protest Sierra Leone is seeing today were planted during the voter registration period.
It was alleged that SLPP card carriers were deployed in the Northern and western regions to embark on unprofessional practices. Many voters were left out and several names deleted on the voters’ register. Names of those registered in PortLoko, for instance, fell in Bo and Kenema voter registers, a very sad situation for the elections.
Several errors which cannot be explored all here took place during the registration, and it is difficult for them to be rectified now. The only way out is for Konneh to go out. The demonstration this time is not against President Bio but Mohamed Konneh. Sierra Leoneans watch as events unfold.