Some pundits were speculating that the March 2018 polls were going to be about regime change .According to this pundits such a change is fuelled and supported by the four (4) former West African heads of States who headed different election observation missions in the country ahead of the March polls .
Whiles many would believe that regime change was an effective tool used by the international community to effect change in most Governments in Africa, what is also certain in all of this is that such changes has to also be in consonant with the voice of the people .Most if not all have thrived or failed due to the peoples factor.
The International players and the West are largely the financiers of most African Governments budget and hence would want to dictate trade deals and some other state agreements and negotiations. When this fails, it is always the case that they would support a regime change to booster their trade interest. In another aspect the West is also oblivious of the fact that our political system takes the “Winner takes all “approach which according to them makes our peace consolidation process fragile .In this vain they would encourage regime change after very ten years to make way for another set of people .
Whatever the reasons advanced by political theorists for regime change the people always matter .Such changes should be reflective of the aspirations of the people in the ballot box.
In Sierra Leone ruling party operatives have continuously accused some foreign observers of fueling regime change against the wishes of the people .Such argument seems to be untenable as the voting patterns in both elections have cleary shown a sinking Government trying to maintain it grip on power .The opposition parties massively voted 58% against the ruling party this sparked a run off between the main opposition and the ruling APC since non of the parties could not secure the 55% threshold .
In the runoff polls the SLPP had maintained it traditional stronghold in the East and South whiles also making significant inroads in the ruling party areas in the North and West areas where they had underperformed very badly in previous elections. This was enough to have secured them a comfortable victory against any insinuation that the elections were carefully orchestrated to effect regime change. If even this was the case the people were badly in need of such a change.
The international Community and the foreign observers in the country have repeatedly distanced themselves from such accusations and committing to work with whosoever wins the March polls.