Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio continues crossing the red line as he embarks on fresh attacks on the US. The United States, he said, ordered him to interfere with June 24, 2023 elections although he fails from whom the order comes from.
Bio made the allegation during a speech at the American University of International service in Washington DC where he updated some Sierra Leoneans about the country’s political situation particularly June elections. The blame game features most prominently in his speech hitting the US hard for instructing him to tamper with the elections, an order, he said, to have resisted on the grounds that the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) is an “independent and semi-autonomous body.”
“I declined and said I have called this institution, and I am not going to call them now. When the United States cast doubt on the credibility of the election, you are calling for a coup,” Bio further accuses the United States as if he is ready for an open encounter with the greatest world power. ECSL is a body mandated by law to conduct and supervise all public elections in Sierra Leone. Some political and legal analysts have treated Bio’s allegation with a pinch of salt saying “this is not the right time to draw daggers.”
Ex-Foreign Affairs Minister, Alie Kabba has warned Bio against going into direct confrontation with the United States as the outcome could be dangerous. The United States is the world’s super world power and any action taken against Bio might lead to serious consequences. The former Minister succinctly debunks the notion of Sierra Leone’s sovereignty when she faces the United States. “The dear and the jaguar are each sovereign in the jungle, but to survive and thrive, the dear’s guide on smart diplomacy compels it to be strategic in encounters with apex predator. It does not incessantly proclaim its sovereign status; it wisely negotiates a way out,” Kabba guides Bio on diplomacy albeit paradoxically.
A renowned lawyer, Basita Michael shares kabba’s views saying Bio’s comments ought to be diplomatic and conciliatory at this crucial moment. “Given the extenuating circumstances facing Sierra Leone, one would have expected Bio’s speech to be diplomatic and conciliatory. Instead, he turned the tables on the US government right in their face…” Basita too advises Bio.
She went on to state that President Bio is known going after those who comes after him citing the suspension of erstwhile Auditor-General, Lara Taylor Pearce as an example. Lara led Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL), an institution that ensures probity in the public service through annual examination of books and accounts of all government institutions including Office of the President.
Her tenure at ASSL was however cut short when she attempted to expose shady deals at the Office of the President and that of the first lady. The long-standing lawyer likens Bio to the Ex-American President, Donald Trump in their offensive tactics to get their way through.
Going on the offensive against perceived enemies is lately one of Bio’s most effective weapon, but there is doubt whether it would work well for Bio as it works for Trump. Basita Michael also looks at the manner in which government uses public institutions to get their mission accomplished.
“…We are also using government institutions to reinforce our narrative. We set up a commission to look into issues surrounding 2023 elections headed by the Vice President. Likewise, the Judicial and Legal Service Commission was used to suspend the Auditor-General,” Basita looks back.
According to observers in the media and the public, Bio’s allegations could be less trusted in light of the prevailing the situation during the electoral period. It is hard to believe that ECSL is independent as claimed by Bio who has been accused of issuing orders to the election body as it were his private company.
Mohamed Konneh’s allegation of being threatened by President Bio to announce him winner of the elections is sufficient evidence that ECSL is never an independent entity. ECSL chief, Konneh declared Bio winner of June 24 elections after a huge quantum of the votes had been stolen, and pushed the blame to Bio when questioned.
To date, Konneh is yet to produce the real election results by polling stations and districts as demanded by Sierra Leoneans and the international community fearing reprisal attacks from President Bio. He still holds on to the genuine result even when visa ban was imposed on him and other government officials. He is the first Chief Electoral Commissioner to keep in secret the voter’s register before the elections.
Konneh’s claim of taking directives from President Bio to have a proportional representation system instead of a constituency-based model also goes a long way to expose Bio’s eclectic missiles fired at the United States. Although Dr Abdulai Conteh, one of sub-Sahara’s best lawyers argued that the power to change the mode of elections does not rest with ECSL but a matter of primary legislation for parliament, Konneh under Bio’s direction, pressed ahead for the proportional representation system.
Sierra Leone is at war and there are subsisting constituencies making it imperative for a constituency elections model, but Bio and Konneh thought otherwise. For many Sierra Leoneans, it is a continuation of Bio’s defiance of the world powers by other means. President Bio is poised for retaining power at all cost and against all odds even if it comes going into war with the US and UK to avoid making a sad history of being the first President to rule only for a term in multi-party Sierra Leone.
The only way to achieve this mission is to embolden the election chief not to release the real result, and Konneh is sure to dance to Bio’s tune as he who pays the piper calls the tune. What about SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party)’s insistence that Konneh would forcefully conduct the election following calls by the opposition, All People’s Congress (APC)’s for Konneh’s resignation amid concerns of electoral irregularities on the election’s eve.
At a press conference held at SLPP headqauters in Freetown, SLPP Chairman Dr Prince Harding made it clear that Konneh would conduct the elections despite public condemnation, and it came to pass. He conducted the elections with no iota of professionalism, an action seen as a test of the waters.
With Bio and Harding’s backing, Konneh was bold enough to say he does whatever pleases him since he could not be controlled by anyone. With such thinking, he misconstrues a major constitutional provision which says “in the exercise of his functions, the Chief Electoral commissioner is not subject to the direction or control by any person or authority.”
The provision does not however mean that Konneh should not be checked when he goes off track. Bio’s allegation against the United States, the latest in a series of blackmailing attempts is to soil US’s image locally and abroad. Few days after elections, Bio succinctly urged civil society activists and other Sierra Leoneans to stage a protest against members of the international community who he accuses of backing APC.
The United States is Bio’s primary target if the protest would have gone ahead. Bio does not stop at the allegations; he also attempts at watering down the importance of the world powers asking what have they done for the country?
the question of where was the international community during Sierra Leone’s civil war was also posed by Bio. These questions represent an insinuation that the international community did nothing for Sierra Leone despite the existence of concrete evidence about their achievements.
By accusing these countries of doing nothing for Sierra Leone during the war, Bio quickly forgets about how the United States, through the UN, contributed to the restoration of peace in Sierra Leone. He also turns his back against sacrifices made by Britain and other countries in ending the country’s civil war.
Memories of the British-led ‘Operation Barass’ that stopped the West Side phenomenon in a hour still lingers in Sierra Leoneans’ minds. Bio could also be seen as one who quickly turns blind eye against recent, sound infrastructural projects for Sierra Leone embarked on by EU. Despite continuing attacks against the US, Bio’s effort is a mere drop in the ocean as he is now in a tight corner. By going against the United States, he isolating himself from the world’s community of nations on whose back he rose to prominence.
Only time will tell as ICC’s letters are albatrosses around his neck, and threats of protest and civil disobedience back home worsened an already situation.