Despite repeated attempts to derail the Election Probe, the Tripartite Committee, according to Dr Kaifala Marrah is bigger than government and completely free from political influence. Dr Marrah also warned that no one should preempt the outcome of the election investigation so that justice can be served to all Sierra Leoneans.
The Tripartite Committee, currently the centre of public attention, was created after the signing of a communiqué between the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) to end a post-election stalemate that emanated from the June 24, 2023 elections.
Opposition leader, Dr Samura Kamara alleged that the election was significantly rigged and thus dissuaded APC parliamentarians, mayors, chairmen and councillors from taking part in the governance of the state until the actual votes are counted. Sierra Leone was brought to a standstill as nothing went on without a functioning parliament and local councils, and the stalemate only came to an end after the peace deal was signed by concerned parties.
According to Resolution-3 of the communiqué, the committee is charged with the responsibility of investigating alleged irregularities and offer recommendations for electoral reforms and to ascertain the actual winner. It is hoped that once the truth is established, what happened will not happen again in all future elections.
The said Resolution states that “His Excellency, the President, in consultation with the APC party, will constitute a cross-party committee on Electoral Systems and Management Bodies Review with a three-way leadership nominated by the government of Sierra Leone, the APC party and Development Partners to examine the electoral systems, structures and processes of the 2023 multi-tier electoral cycle.”
The committee, according to the communiqué, will also look at past elections to highlight and address the contentious issues of elections and results management including the collation, verification, authentication and publication of the electoral data consistent with international best practice to enhance the credibility of all future elections in Sierra Leone.
Although it is not stated in the peace document, the Tripartite Committee however takes the place of the Supreme Court as its recommendations even if it is a rerun or fresh election is “actionable” and “implementable.” This means, government is bound by such recommendations and there is no way it can disobey the committee.
Apart from the expert investigators, the Tripartite Committee consists of 21 representatives with seven each from the Development Partners, SLPP and APC with Dr Kaifala Marrah as the lead for the opposition party. Dr Marrah who is one of the committee’s co-chairs made the statement bordering on the preponderance of the Tripartite Committee during a press briefing held last Wednesday at the APC (All People’s Congress) headquarters in Freetown.
The APC co-chair is a senior APC politician who runs for the party’s flag with Samura Kamara in the 2023 National Delegates’ Conference, but fails to make it.
However, he still remains a staunch and loyal member of the party for which he is appointed by the current presidential candidate and flag-bearer as a lead representative at the Election Investigation Committee.
He has been recently hailed by APC members and supporters for doing a great work at the committee, but others still doubt and suspect the hard-working politician owing to a communication gap that has existed for too long between the top hierarchy and those at the bottom rungs of the party about the progress of the election probe.
Therefore, holding regular press briefings becomes the only tool to cement the gap, and the first was last Wednesday which was attended by a mammoth crowd of APC members, supporters and sympathisers. Wednesday’s briefing was to clear misconception and suspicion on the work of the Tripartite Committee to ensure peace, stability and national cohesion within and outside the party.
It also means a strong and compelling message to members of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) who hold the view that government owes no obligation to the committee and that ECSL (Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone) should not be coerced into producing any document including the voter register and election results. It is part of the electoral practice that the voter register is brought within public domain weeks before the election to assure the electorate of honest and credible electoral process.
They argue that the committee is not a court and therefore does not have coercive powers. The level of government’s cooperation with the Tripartite Committee is still low as key election management bodies are yet to submit documents demanded by the Tripartite Committee.
According to one of the presidential advisers, ECSL would appear before the committee only on moral suasion and not by legal means. In the presence of the members of the diplomatic corps, Dr Emmanuel Gaima made it clear that no Sierra Leonean should hope for a rerun election even if heavens fall. As far he knows, the June 24, 2023 election is done and dusted and there will be no other election until 2028.
This stance is robustly guarded and supported by other senior government officials including the Information Minister, Chernor Bah who said “the June elections are over.” One-time voiceferous civil society activists who are now top government officials currently trumpet the ‘NO ELECTION’ campaign until after the successful five-year term of President Julius Maada Bio. Such campaign is one that key election bodies capaitalise on to undermine the election investigation. ECSL and National Commission for Civil Registration has been singled out as those institutions that are yet to fully submit their documents to aid the election probe.
Failure to cooperate with the committee means a continuation of the stance earlier taken by government to water down effort aimed at restoring democracy, lifting shadows of tyranny and oppression, establishing the rule of law and protecting the rights, freedoms and civil liberties of the people of Sierra Leone. For the PAOPA regime, the status quo must be maintained and any attempt to alter it would be seriously resisted by all means at government’s disposal.
The aftermath of the November 26, last year was replete with evasive tactics of the PAOPA regime towards the Tripartite Committee. The day after the attacks was meant for the first meeting of the Tripartite Committee where foundation for all future deliberations would have been laid, but no government representative showed up, and their absence brewed more questions than answers.
Only the APC representative, Dr Marrah attended the first meeting to start the work and tweeted about his disappointment with the absence of government officials. In continuation of the resistance to the committee, government also held back the $500, 000 (five hundred thousand dollars) which it promised to offer the Tripartite Committee to boost its work. No money means no work and the committee waited for months without work.
The committee commenced work only after the United States donated $1.5m to the committee.
US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Greenfield was in Sierra Leone after the swearing in ceremony of Liberia’s President, Joseph Boaki to announce America’s deep interest in the work of the Tripartite Committee. The terms of reference that should guide the investigation was launched after the United States offered the money to Sierra Leone, but government is still seemingly not ready to throw its weight behind the committee owing to foreseen terrible consequences.
However, the United States, United Kingdom, United Nations, African Union and the sub-regional bloc, ECOWAS (Economic Community Of West African States) have been playing significant role in ensuring that government complies with the terms of the Tripartite Committee.
Just weeks after the June polls, the United States was the first to cut off cooperation with the regime by announcing a funding cut and visa restrictions for officials of the PAOPA regime. It is clear that when America frowns at a particular country, other nations and inter-governmental institutions also take similar actions.
The International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Commonwealth and African Union also stopped providing loans and grants to the Sierra Leone government since she is no longer in the US good books for undermining democracy. For a considerable period, Commonwealth, African Union and ECOWAS parliaments also failed to recognise and work with the parliament of Sierra Leone as they subscribe to the notion that government holds a stolen mandate because their victory is still in doubt.
Such bodies renew ties with Sierra Leone government only after it was clear that the authorities had committed itself to the election probe by inking the communiqué. The sub-regional bloc also recently urged Sierra Leone government to fully comply with the terms of the communiqué to restore democratic order in Sierra Leone.
United Nations Security Council, few months ago, also convened a meeting calling on the Bio regime to cooperate with Tripartite Committee for a peaceful and stable Sierra Leone. The regime is also cautioned to fully implement recommendations of the Tripartite Committee within the shortest possible time whether it favours government or not. Back home, pressure is also mounting on President Bio as APC grassroot members and supporters demand either a rerun or fresh election without they called a handpicked Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh at the scene.
Konneh, according to APC politicians, is the mastermind of the political and security problems confronting Sierra Leone today for failing to properly carry out his duties. He allegedly falsely declared President Bio winner of the elections which was said to be bereft of transparency at all stages. They have threatened that they will take to the streets if the Tripartite Committee messes up with them. For the electorate, reports by international and local election observation missions have spoken, and the Election Investigation Committee must know what should be done.
However, government is said to be downplaying the election probe and sure to rebuff any recommendation that will end their governance project. Despite the resistance, signs are now clear that the end game is at hand as the committee officials say their work will not go beyond June 19, 2024.