Ahead of a Commonwealth-led talks, Sierra Leoneans especially grassroot members of the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) demand fresh election without Mohamed Kenewui Konneh.

Konneh is head of the Electoral Commission  for Sierra Leone, a body mandated by law to conduct and supervise all public elections. In seeming fulfilment of his duty, he conducted the June-24 election which has been an object of contention among rival groups for months.

Many Sierra Leoneans do not accept the outcome claiming that the electoral process lacked transparency. They wanted to see the next election supervised by foreign bodies so that freedom, fairness and transparency can be ensured. A  member of the public, Ibrahim Bangura makes his call for another election and makes his desire clear.

“We need another election that is free, fair and transparent so that we can know who the actual winner is,” Bangura appeals hoping that Samura will emerge winner even if the elections are held hundred times.

He believes that the people of Sierra Leone have turned their backs against President Bio who has failed the people of Sierra Leone.  Alie Kamara also shares Bangura’s claims.

He calls on APC to go in for a re-run and nothing else so that the status quo can change. For Kamara, it was his candidate, Samura who won the election and it should feature prominently in the peace talks.

“We want to see APC officials pressing for a re-run election if the Chief Electoral Commissioner does not produce the real results,” Kamara  urged.

He also warns APC’s elected officials against going to parliament so that they cannot legitimise Bio’s government.

“Bio’s government will be considered legal the day APC members of parliament take their seats,” he said.

In his voice of a loyal member of APC member,  Kamara warns against the elected officials taking such risk as Bio should not be relied on. A petty trader on Abacha Street and mother of four, name withheld for fear of reprisals, also called on APC to assert authority during the mediation.

 She does not want to see APC playing second fiddle to SLPP in a dialogue that holds the people’s future.

“APC should prove themselves that they are real men and must not allow SLPP politicians to dictate to them,” she warned saying  it would be the end of APC if they fail the grassroot this trip.

Hunted by the agony of teargas firing on Abacha street against the traders, she rules out any move of APC’s elected officials working with the Bio regime in any shape or form.

“SLPP politicians stole our votes and later turn to abuse our rights because they have the police and the army. It is only APC can save us, but they can save us only if they do well at the mediation table,” she expressed hope adding that APC politicians’ actions at the mediation will determine the people’s response.

 The grassroot’s latest calls shows the extent to which they still maintain their previous position. They had earlier discredited the June polls and called on their representatives not to work with government believing that the election was rigged. In a seeming response to the grassroot’s call, the opposition leader, Dr Samura Kamara had previously urged the party’s elected officials to stay away from Bio’s government until the right thing is done.

“We still continue to hold where we hold,” Samura Kamara appealed to his supporters in Krio in a recent meeting. Kamara is widely considered winner of the June election but an alleged manipulation of votes shattered his dream.

The incumbent candidate, President Julius Maada Bio got 56.17 per cent of the total votes surpassing the 55 per cent constitutional threshold. The APC presidential candidate, on the other hand, got a little over 40 per cent of the votes.

 When distributed according to the 11.9 per cent provided by the proportional representation model, SLPP had 81 seats while APC got 54 pointing out a difference of 27 parliamentarians.

 The figure which is widely seen as the product of rigging prompted Kamara and his comrades to stage a boycott that is said to be the first in Sierra Leone’s political history.

Parliamentarians, mayors, chairmen and councillors have never taken their seats since the announcement of the election results out of fear that they would have little or no voice in parliament in light of their numerical strength. According to political analysts, the opposition law makers have a reason to be fearful or jittery especially when the recent past is looked at.

APC had more parliamentarians than SLPP in the 2018 elections, but the latter subsequently got a higher number owing to bulldozing tactics. The police and the army are most times used to achieve that aim.

 Although majority of parliamentarians stayed at home, two however do not see APC’s move as the right thing to do. In an open show of disloyalty,  Mohamed Bangura and Alfred Thompson took the oath office about two months ago with SLPP parliamentarians. They now take an active part in the proceedings.

The two law-makers however face disciplinary hearings for disobeying the party’s leadership and may be expelled if found guilty. On the other side of the pendulum, is the ruling  Sierra Leone People’s Party who do not want APC resort to a boycott.

They have always wanted to see opposition representatives in parliament so that government business can move on.

In the face of funding cut, travel restrictions and possible indictment of government officials by the international Criminal Court, President Bio still presses on influencing parliamentarians to take part in his government.

Despite wrongs the current regime committed against the people of Sierra Leone, Bio is sending emissaries to key APC stakeholders to accept his government. Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh has paid visits to several APC politicians including Dr Samura Kamara for a compromise.

 The Bio regime also makes use of every opportunity that arises to ensure that the APC leadership is prevailed on to take part in Bio’s government.

 Some members of the ruling party recently met with APC’s presidential candidate at a dinner held by the United States Embassy. They posed for the press, took photos and let them viral on social media platforms, a move that sent messages that fences had been mended between the ruling party and the opposition.

Bio quite recently embarked on a campaign of magnanimity when his government freed countless number of prisoners across the country to appease APC members.

 But, such move has been seen as one that would not produce good results since over the 500 arrested during protest in Freetown and other parts of the country still remains in custody.

 After five years of enmity, Bio recently conveyed sentiments of good will to former President Ernest Bai Koroma who was celebrating his 70^th birthday.

 All these steps are not taken for nothing; they are meant to change the APC’s course of action; SLPP wanted APC parliamentarians to come to the mainstream of governance and not to remain on the fringes.

The most extreme and fanatic step, according to sources, ever to have been embarked on by Bio was to dish out money for APC’s parliamentarians, mayors, chairmen and councillors to work with him and forget about elections until 2028.

Sources within APC have intimated this press that some APC politicians have fallen for Bio’s baits forgetting that the fight does not belong to them.

The truth of the matter holds that even if APC parliamentarians play second fiddle to Bio, the international community will not accept unless the votes are re-counted or fresh elections held without Konneh.