Sierra Leone Telegraph: 05 July 2023:
Since the announcement of the June 24th presidential and general elections results by Sierra Leone’s Electoral Commission (ECSL), the international community and independent election observers in and out of the country have refused to accept the integrity and veracity of the ballot tallying process.
They are accusing the ECSL of failing to ensure transparency and basic electoral standards, and have not accepted the swearing of Julius Maada Bio as President of Sierra Leone for a second term.
The main opposition APC party are calling for the resignation of the Chief Justice, the head of police, the head of the army, the chief electoral commissioner, and indeed the president himself in order to make way for fresh elections in six months.
The APC are also demanding the establishment of an international election arbitration court in Sierra Leone – made up of judges from the commonwealth to oversee all election petition cases.
These demands, accusations and refusal to accept the validity of the election results have put President Julius Maada at dangerous odds with the international community, whom he now describes as “Agents” of chaos and instability in Sierra Leone.
Speaking at a meeting with a small section of civil society organisations yesterday, President Bio attacked the international community in the country, accusing Britain, USA, Germany, Ireland and the European Union of “interfering in Sierra Leone’s politics”.
He said that the international community are promoting confusion and chaos in the country. “We have to guard against that, because you have no right to come and validate our election,” the retired military junta brigadier President Bio said.
“We have never done that to the European Union or any country in the European Union. We didn’t do that to the United States when they had their problem, when they attacked their Capitol…,” referring to President Trump’s refusal to accept the election results and the storming of Capitol Building by Trump supporters in 2020.
Taking a swipe at the Americans who yesterday were celebrating their Day of Independence, President Bio said: “We didn’t say their democracy was being attained with guns…”
Whilst President Bio was busy attacking the American government, the US State Department published this Tweet yesterday praising the President of Senegal – Macky Sall, of respecting his country’s democratic values after backing down from his previous bid to stay in office for a third term, contrary to the country’s constitution. The US State Department draw parallels with the undemocratic rigging of elections in Sierra Leone to keep President Bio in office.
See Tweet by the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee:
President Bio said that the success of his SLPP party at the polls was down to sheer hard campaigning. “We had a spirited campaign. As a government, we went all over the country. We didn’t take anything for granted. We didn’t take the people for granted and we also used the campaign as a tool and means by which we can know the living condition of the people,” he told his civil society visitors to State House yesterday.
“But you still have people who want to bring about confusion from the same international community and we must guard against that,” as he lashes at those in and out of the country he refers to as “Agents” of chaos in Sierra Leone.
“We should stand our grounds and correct certain misrepresentation and tell them that it is the constitution of Sierra Leone that determines how results are counted here, not the chairman of the Electoral Commission,” Bio said, and that he will not go against the constitution.
“Because somebody comes from somewhere to monitor or observe and say this is not how we should do it.”
President Bio has drawn sword with the US, Britain, Ireland, Germany and the EU, forgetting that Sierra Leone cannot survive without the hundreds of millions of dollars in financial support he receives from those countries to keep his government and the nation’s economy afloat.
There are rumours President Bio is having secret talks with the Russian and Chinese governments to establish closer economic, security and political alliance that will replace Sierra Leone’s longstanding relationship with the West.
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are both considering pulling out of Sierra Leone along with their Billion dollars financial assistance, until the current political impasse between President Bio and the country’s main opposition APC over rigged election results have been resolved.
In sharp contrast to President Bio’s jingoism and suicidal battle-ready approach, his Senior Adviser – former minister in the previous APC government who defected to join Bio’s government to avoid corruption charges – Mr Alpha Kanu (also popularly known as Alpha Khan), has been on national television begging the opposition APC presidential candidate Dr Samura Kamara to accept the rigged elections results.
This is what he said:
One thing I will say let APC let go of this term and let them prepare for 2028 because this one has been decided already
A number of comments made so far may be summarised as follows: “Sierra Leone is a sovereign state. What we do here is our business. If foreign countries do not like it, that is their problem, not ours. The state is accountable to no one else but itself”. How very convenient to utter these words. Indeed, how very useful they are when trying to shut down criticisms levelled at us for our most recent egregious practice of democracy.
Those shouting from the rooftops our inalienable right to assert and do our own democratic thing our own way seem to blissfully forget to ask themselves this crucial question: if we are that sovereign, why is it that since achieving political independence sixty-two years ago, we have depended on the West mainly to keep our country afloat economically year after year? Is the person who pays the piper, no matter their weaknesses and failings in their own practice of democracy, not the one that ultimately calls the tune?
We should get rid of our begging bowls permanently in the first place before expressing outrage at the West’s impertinence in its attempt to hold us accountable for our democratic deficiency, before rushing forward intrepidly, not to say suicidally, to bite the finger that feeds us. Until then, Britain, America, Germany and the rest of the EU have every right to look in our backyard and ask us to put our democratic acts together.
Those who perpetually give out loans/aid and those who perpetually receive these occupy opposite ends of the scale of power relations. How very ironic that those leaders now going ballistic about the West’s breach of our sovereign right to be left alone to do our own thing are the ones that, by their incompetence, corruptness, unbridled greed and murderous, undemocratic grip on power, have given the West the right and power moral to tell us what to do about ourselves.
Mr. Yillah, so we should continue begging the west to feed our hungry tummies and make decisions for us since we are incapable of doing so-how backward indeed. APC sympathizers are quick to forget that their party held Sierra Leone ransom for over 25 years under the combined inept administration of Stevens and Momoh. They are quick to forget the political murder of FM Minah and others. You cannot compare 25 years of misrule to an administration that is just 5 years in power and is capable of addressing their wrongs if given chance to do so. When Christian Thorpe ushered in Ernest Bai Koroma for the second term, the SLPP felt cheated and guess what they took it to the courts. The die is cast Mr. Yillah, either you seek redress through the courts or go back to the drawing table. No international pressure can overturn that results, if so they should start with TINUBU.
Mr Alieu, it seems that to you, anyone that calls out the flawed election process and the skewed results it has yielded must ipso facto be a card-carrying militant of the APC party. Please spare a few minutes and read my comment once more. You seem to have missed its sarcastic thrust and tone. I am all for our independence and sovereignty. Sadly, however, the fact remains that neither the APC nor the SLPP – the two parties that have governed our country for the best part of the last sixty-two years – has done much to safeguard that hard-won sovereignty and independence. Their woeful stewardship of the affairs of our beloved homeland has kept us in a permanent, abject state of dependency.
The point of my comment is therefore this: saying we are a sovereign state and should be left alone to do things as we please while holding out begging bowls to the West in the same breath, is, to say the least, a farcical scene to behold. We must put away those ignominious bowls first and permanently so for us to stand any chance of being taken seriously by the rest of the world, for our vociferous rejection of the West’s arrogant, moralising take on how we conduct our political affairs to stand any chance of gaining traction beyond our shores.
As to whether you still consider me to be a card-carrying militant of the APC party, I will leave you to draw your own conclusion. You may be a militant of the SLPP party. At least that is how your reaction to my comment comes across. Rest assured, however, that my only party is mother Sierra Leone, our shared homeland, whose fortunes both your party and the APC have persistently held to ransom since independence.
And one more thing. So, to you, rigged election results upheld in Nigeria should be the criterion for validating and indeed legitimising rigged election results in Sierra Leone. This is beyond preposterous, to put it mildly.
Ngor Yillah you’ve said it in the competent way, kudos. Am an APC partisan, but the two parties have never lived up to standard regardless who was at the top. Your response is cogent, straight forward and impartial. Thanks again bro.
Jubilation and celebrations over their so-called elections victory have quickly died down in the Sierra Leone People’s Party ( SLPP) camp. After going around rudely grinding pot covers, beating perceived opponents and destroying their sources of livelihood , the myriad of supporters and thugs of the SLPP have gone silent.
Even the Southeastern region – the SLPP strongholds -are strangely quiet just a week after President Maada Bio had the Elections Commission of Sierra Leone declare him winner of the Sierra Leone Presidential Elections while the ballots were still being counted and many districts had not yet transmitted their results.
The outrage from the populace , the international elections observers and international stakeholders has been so humongous that the SLPP could not continue rejoicing. Though their president was declared winner by ECSL and given a second term mandate without a runoff as they all had believed, they have become tormented by the fact that they might not get away easily with the most spectacular and most outrageous elections rigging in Sierra Leone and beyond.
The National Elections Watch( NEW ) remained insistent that the ECSL rigged the elections in favour of President Bio. International elections observers, including the Carter Centre, the European Union and international stakeholders like the U.S especially have been on the offensive complaining that the elections lacked transparency during the process of tallying votes and continue to demand that the ECSL release unaggregated figures from the polling stations to demonstrate how they arrived at the decision that President Bio won the elections.
Instead of the jubilation and celebrations so typical of the SLPP, what we are seeing are sullen faces all over and desperate efforts on social media to play down the seriousness of the unequivocal stand by the international community as well as manufacturing fake letters from African countries congratulating President Bio for his “victory.”
On Tuesday, President Bio summoned a meeting with the tainted civil society groups that had long surrendered their neutrality and are lapdogs of the SLPP government and he charged them to help his government condemn the international elections observers and international stakeholders who he is now openly accusing of interfering in Sierra Leone’s internal affairs and trying to bring confusion in the country.
Though rabid SLPP supporters are not saying it, they have stopped jubillating and celebrating because they are not optimistic that the Bio government will be allowed to get away with stealing the people’s mandate.
Fears abound within that given the intensity of their anger, Sierra Leoneans might stage serious protests that might cripple the government, and the fuming international community might impose sanctions on the country and travel bans on Bio government officials that might destroy the economy and the government.
Sierra Leoneans who understand the SLPP well know that this is not the kind of muted and low-level celebration typical of the party. If they had been happy, they would have sent the whole country seething with jubilation to celebrate their so-called called victory. Something is definitely not right. The silence in SLPP strongholds is ear-deafening.
Everyone is crying out for peace in Sierra Leone, but no one is crying out for social justice and equity, which is fundamental for creating and maintaining peace. Crying out for peace, when that peace is based on your neighbours oppression will not bear good fruits or lead to a healthy progressive peaceful society.
Telling people to move on after an incident without healing is simply telling them to accept wrongful acts in society and normalizing those behaviors. In Sierra Leone, from Independence, war, Ebola, Landslide to our present debacle, we seem to normalize wrongful acts with “how for do, nah for biya” mentality. In effect, at each time we have an opportunity to make things right, nothing is done, we move on without addressing the problem or root cause analysis, no deep healing occurs, and lessons remain unlearnt. Hence, we keep developing a society with deep wounds and emotional mental scars or trauma with no support, healing mechanisms or therapy in place. We simply left to cope with the mental or psychological trauma of our social ills, with substance abuse becoming a favorite mechanism for a large segment of society.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Unfortunately, our Sierra Leonean society is now one of too many compromised people and no statesmen or institutions serving as moral guarantors. When we do the right things with integrity, fairness and transparency, peace will be assured at all times in your society.
As the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) post-war found injustices, human rights abuses, greed, corruption, bad governance, lack of accountability and transparency, and leadership failures as the roots of the war. We must never forget the things that led us to years of brutal war. The lessons of the war must serve as our daily reminder to work assiduously towards developing a thriving, socially just, and equitable Sierra Leone. Upholding the truth, fairness, integrity and transparency at all times, thus matters.
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Alhaji Umar N’jai is a PhD Senior Scientist, Associate Professor, Panafrican Scholar, Founder & Chief Strategist of Project 1808, Inc., and Freelance writer ‘Roaming in the Mountains of Kabala Republic’. #Jata #Meejoh #ThePeoplesScientist
Yes Mr Alieu, you mentioned a few key words in your analyses, supported by your stint in the US Army. I am glad you came out in one piece. One of the key words you mentioned was “interests” which brought you around to my path of thinking. Morality or ethics do not have a place in Western calculations. That’s why they engineered the downfall of Kwame Nkruma, Patrice Lumumba, Muritala Mohammad, Thomas Sankara, Muhamma Quadaffi…….. the list goes on. We don’t yet know how Bio currently features in Washington and democratic European capitals. What we do know is that they are not happy with him based on the reactions of their locally based representatives. Let’s wait for the end game, but Bio cannot be a happy man right now. On this note I shall end the debate to give other people a chance to express their opinions. Many thanks.
I hope and pray that the international community will not downgrade our IQ status in Africa based on the recent UNREALISTIC DEMANDS of the APC party. . All the elections won by the APC have been questionable since the current Commander- In- Chief and the Fountain Of Honor and “ THE FATHER OF OUR DEMOCRACY “ , Retired Brigadier, President Julius Maada Wonnie Bio kicked them out of power after 25 years of corruptt one party misrule. Unfortunately, within the APC 25 years, they executed some of our brightest and patriotic citizens.
Senegal should be considered with Guinea where both incumbent presidents where trying to contest for third term.
During the second INAUGURATION Ceremony, all the diplomats will be definitely present to congratulate President “Talk and Do” Bio, which is the normal procedure.
The link below shows the pattern of elections in Sierra Leone which is still trying to perfect democracy in Africa as compared to Cameroon , Uganda and Rwanda to name but few. The best the international observers will do is to make recommendations for the 2028 elections in at least three months in their final report.https://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/sierra-leone-elections-2012-free-but-not-fair/
What is the truthful result of the election?
Sierra Leone is a democratic government not a dictatorship government. Bio has showed us he doesn’t care about the country but himself. Simple terms he is selfish.
Squire Koroma, you explains precisely why I intensely hate both SLPP and APC, they are one and the same. Even as a little boy I did not like them,although I lacked the wherewithal to explain why. As I grew older and started to understand things better, with a little more education, my inner self surfaced to reveal why I hated them. When either of them is in opposition, they know all the answers to our problems, but once they’re let in the answers disappear into the grave of corruption and abuse of power. I am always looking for avenues through which the two major parties can be thrown off the political scene.
Until Dr Yomkella allied himself with SLPP I was with NGC. But I have become a floater once more,gravitating to where the truth lies all the time. In 2018, when the presidency narrowed to Bio and Samura, I was rooting for Bio because of his pronouncements, which ultimately resulted to nothing, as corruption went through the roof and targeted killing of unarmed civilians took hold.
Most people in the country know that Maada did not win the presidency, otherwise domestic and foreign pressure would have forced him to instruct Mohammed Konneh to do a recount of ballots all over the country to legitimize his triumph.
The Chinese would do business with anybody for the right price; the communists even do business with the homes of capitalism and democracy – ie The West. Mr Kamara, can you recall how close Bio came to selling Black Johnson Beach to the Chinese for $55 million?In some countries he would have had a date with a firing squad or a hangman for high treason. We have become outlaws thanks to Bio. He should go. No meaningful country has recognised him.
“It is better said than done” APC don loss dis election. Since the birth of democracy in Sierra Leone in 1996, APC as a party lost that election to the SLPP party. The party that became the opposition was UNPP. Meaning, where true democracy lies, APC will never win any election. Where true democratic principles are observed, APC party is always at fault with its own members. Some members of the party doesn’t believe in the dictate of democracy. They just believe it is their inheritance. Let’s check it out methodically:
Since the inception of the party, which tribe has ever headed the APC ? The Kamakwe brotherhood. SLPP party leadership, please watch out who are causing this problems making the rounds. Massella Samba (NEW boss is from Kamakwe direction). Let’s start to call things by their names. Please do not mislead others by hiding your identity.
Since the party started ruling Sierra Leone, when last have you seen a Southerner / Easterner/Northeasterner/Northwesterner heading the APC?
When Gento, a Temne was introduced by the SLPP party to contest as a Mayor in the city, these same group of people who had always wanted to see the Temnes as subordinates to them grew jealous. They felt threatened. They felt that there superiority is being undermined. Let it be noted that the first king in Freetown was a Temne king. Gento, please be patient, you are about to break history.
Unlike the SLPP party, history has proven that the members of this party believe in democracy and have demonstrated that over the years. Let’s go through it methodically:
The first democratically elected president of Sierra Leone is Late President Ahmed Tejan Kabba a Northerner by birth and hailed from the Susu tribe.
Chairman of the SLPP, “Mr.Kampen” was a Northerner and hailed from the Limba tribe.
When President Dr. Julius Maada Bio took power, his flagship program was free education for all the young and youths across the country from class 1 to Senior Secondary School level. That is democracy. When president Ernest Bai Koroma took over power, his flagship program was to bring sustainable light to only Freetown and his small family village along the Makeni/ Kalangba Highway. Is that democracy?
When president Dr. Julius Maada Bio took over power, he ensured that 30% of female representation in parliament is upheld across the country. That is democracy.
When president Dr. Julius Maada Bio took over power, he catered for all journalists across the country to ensure that he repeal the 1965 libel law so that everyone would participate freely in the democratic process unhindered by any political means. Thatis democracy.
However, let it be noted that the Kamakwe brothers are known to be very peaceful people in the past. Because of this, their identity was not known. This team has been so wise to figure out very brilliant people in society and place them in position of trust just to ensure that they are assumed to be democratic.
Please! If your plan is purely democratic, let’s go of the leadership position to another countryman from a different address such as Kailahun, Kenema, Kono, Bonthe, Moyamba, Pujehun, Bo, Portloko, Koinadugu, Yonkolili, Falaba, Freetown urban, Freetown rural. Prove it, and you will be assured of winning a purely contested democratic election.
Your total political testmonies bear no merits. Infact you have just heighten and promoted tribal enclave in the nation of Sierra Leone which have destroyed the country. I dont care where the leader of this country hails from, North, South, Western or east etc. must and should be voted into power by the due process of democracy.He that carries the majority of the votes, wins the leadership of the nation. Its not by stuffing, or manipulating voting cards illegally to disenfranchise the people right of choice. In a true democracy, it’s NULL AND VOID.The citizens of Sierra Leone always perform their civil responsibility, they voted persons they think going to give them economic,social, growth and empowerment salvation, to put the country foward. Blaim the chosen leaders and their cohorts whom some turned dictators and murderers to entrench into power.
Samuel Marconi jos 2 kwestions bra
1.Former Ptesident Siaka Stevens, former Vice President Francis Minah and former Vice President Victor Foh of the APC have no mende blood in their veins?
2. How many non- mende Presidents and Vice-Presidents have the SLPP come up with for you to assert your nonsense here?
3. What is so diverse and inclusive about the SLPP Executive for you to be talking about Kamakwie Rd? I know it us an open season of konnehnizing (dishonesty) but hand on heart tell me how many non-mebdes are on the list below? I am sick abd tired of this classical pot and kettle conundrum.
2023 PRESIDENTIAL FLAGBEARER
H.E DR. JULIUS MAADA BIO
LEADER OF THE PARTY
H.E DR. JULIUS MAADA BIO
NATIONAL CHAIRMAN
PRINCE HARDING
DEPUTY CHAIRMAN
ALPHA MOHAMED KALLON
ORGANISING SECRETARY
MUSA MOIGUA
DEPUTY ORGANISING SECRETARY
Alhassan Balogun George
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL
ROBERT CHAKANDA-
SECRETARY GENERAL
Umaru Napoleon Koroma
PUBLIC RELATION OFFICER
Lahai Laurence Leema
NATIONAL WOMEN’S LEADER
Hawa Foray
DEPUTY WOMEN’S LEADER
Rosamond Mattia
INTERNAL AUDITOR
Augustine J.J. Tommy
YOUNG GENERATION LEADER
Ing Kallon
NATIONAL FINANCIAL SECRETARY
Francess Virginia Anderson
NATIONAL TREASURER
Martha Concilia Kanagbo
NATIONAL IMAM
Imam Sheriff
NATIONAL CHAPLIN
Ing. Francis Kallon
Your man is now in a corner and living a charmed life like the Yorkshire club Leeds United’s goal keeper in the 2022/23 Premier League season – the shot stopper of the leakiest defence. The more the old soldier is cornered, i guess his desperation to clutch on straws or cling on for dear life could see him eyeing Russia’s Wagner Group – a magnet for the Sahel’s Jihadists- for protection. With all his jet-set, globe-trotting and non-acrophobic lifestyle with a begging bowl always at hand in the past five years, all he could do for Sierra Leone was to make the country the 3rd poorest and unhappiest in the world in 2023.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)_per_capita
https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/rankings/happiness/
Now imagine what would happen if the circle of friends and Altruists who have been chipping in shrinks.Could you Just imagine the dystopia if the Western-controlled Bretton Wood institutions- AKA IMF and World Bank-suddenly switch off the life support money machine? What if the West bans all remittances by the Sierra Leone Diaspora? How many Sierra Leoneans living in Moscow and Beijing will be able to cover the shortfall? All bets will definitely be off for the first time ever in peace time for Sierra Leone to be the poorest nation in the World. It could also very well be that the rabble-rousing and sabre-rattling from konnehnized Bio is the last acts or kicks from a dying horse. A horse who was sitting in his living room in East London with a KFC in one hand and a stella in the other in 201; and saw the tallying and election results of every polling station across the length and breadth of his jost country being live streamed and announced live on his screens without living any shadow of doubt about the UK people’s choices as their representatives in parluament and at No 1o Downing Street. And of course no shots were fired at anyone or the opposition’s headquarters
Francis Alieu, I mentioned SAS for good reason, just as an example of how stealthy and lethal Western covert forces can be. We may never find out what role they played in bringing the RUF led by Foday Sancoh to the negotiating table. I would like to remind you that the powers that be are forever ready to fight for their values and interests – moral and ethical considerations have their place.
One of the centre pieces of Western values is democracy, closely followed by capitalism, where market forces are given a complete free run in determining the direction of capital. The West may well see Sierra Leone as a potential defeat for them which they should not allow to stand as the country may descend into anarchy and dictatorship. Do you know why the West has always stood with Israel despite what goes on with Palestinians? Do you know why the West has always stood with Taiwan in its confrontation with China? Do you know why the West is against North Korea? I am sure all your will converge on one thing : ideological values. If you sniff democracy anywhere don’t look too far – the West is right there glaring at you.
Many thanks.
Mr. Sorie, I spent ten years in the United States Army with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, western countries are more cautious in sending their troops in harms way to preserve so called democratic values. The broader views of western countries are based on the following; individuals, interests, interactions and institutions. They used the latter to subtly pursue regime change agendas. As Clausewitz rightly said “war is not merely a political instrument but a real political act”.Forget about politics do you think the west really cares about democracy in Africa. When have the west ever supported any African country as they are now doing in Ukraine. Keyword interest interest interest.
May God have mercy up on APC party and it’s propagandists, also direct them to have a better manifesto a real campaign message for the next five(5)years, God straight APCs to the right path. Folks; president Bio has no issues or problems with the West, only if create one for themselves. After carefully watched and listening to President Bio’s video speech today, I came to understand that he’s indeed a real qualified leader to lead this country in this crucial moments. The President Of the United States Of America, H.E Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician who is the 46th and current president of the United States.
“I’m not the man to teach you or your country about Democracy, I myself as the President of the United States, my victory was contested, the people have spoken. I don’t actually understand where APCs getting all this information, Bio never go against the west he told them the fact truth. The president repeated saying” if the election was conducted today or at anytime if possible, I will still beat APC”.
Only the APC party leaders allowed the Chinese nationals to wore the APC polos interfered in our politics campaigned together in 2018 who the heck are you to do that in China? If you are a good loyal patriotic APC supporter advise them to start changing their ways of behaviors from now, no more in fighting select the right candidate, tell EBK to recuse himself, let the man enjoy the stolen money. Next time do not stop your voters to register for vote.
Folks, abject stupidity combined with arrogance is what you are now witnessing coming directly from the corrupt man in our failing State House, that has never once climbed the ladders of decency and legitimacy towards the highest peaks of political power in Sierra Leone, throughout his entire life; He is now foolishly trying to contend with Super power nations that are far stronger than him; Silly is it not? The facts of the natter, still remain lucid and very clear to us…they stole an election, brazenly from the gentlemanly Samura Kamara…and the illustrious Madam Aki Sawyer, that is, hands down, the greatest Mayor that has ever held that highly esteemed office since the days of Siaka Stevens; Yes, I know, because I have been blessed and privileged to see all of her predecessors at work…and Madam Sawyer outshines them all…just as the daylight outshines a blazing candle in the sun.
I have spent several years of my life living in the United States. Over this period of time, I have exercised my rights as a citizen by voting in both local and national elections. It is ironic that the United States would admit irregularities in its voting process yet would scold African countries for not holding a perfect election. It is public knowledge that American elections are not devoid of fraud and other irregularities. So, why would America and its European partners want to hold African countries to a higher standard? Nigeria was lambasted a couple of months ago. Now, it is Sierra Leone, where even after many elections observers have praised the process as free, fair and credible, a few regime change agents in their midst are elevating minor tabulation inconsistences to the level of a rigged election.
Even laughable is the fact that the electorally disgraced All People’s Congress who could not hold a free and fair election within its own party could all of a sudden now become champions of transparency and accountability in national elections. How did Dr. Samura Kamara emerge as flagbearer for the APC? Through a rigged and violent elections process that saw competing flagbearer candidates publicly assaulted, and their ballot boxes thrashed. Are these the folks that have suddenly become the champions of democracy in our country?
Instead of Dr. Samura Kamara continuing to lead his defeated troops, he should be worrying about the corruption charges that hang over his head. He appears in court on July 14 and if found guilty could face a long prison sentence. As for the APC, there is no way a politically, structurally, and financially inept political party can win national elections. Who would forget the APC demonstrating on several occasions that it was not ready for the June 24 elections. From running a shambolic campaign to not having funds to pay its elections agents, it was a foregone conclusion that the APC would crash, and burn come June 24. Lastly, the APC must be careful what it wishes for. If by any chance there is a rerun of the elections, I have not an iota of doubt that Samura Kamara’s party will again be pulverized at the polls.
What goes around comes around. When you condone wrong doing, it will be condoned for you even with generations yet on born. When you see the truth and you decided not to acknowledge it, the truth will be hidden from either you, or your loved one, and guess what, it will happen when you have no power to fight back.
So my dear, if what you said is the truth, may this truth that you said come back to you and all your loved ones.
May the souls of the innocent souls killed for no reason fight this course that you and every Sierra Leonean is fighting. I have full confidence that this battle is not ours but it is a battle of The Almighty God.
Not one genuine elections observer praised the process as free, fair and credible. But you know that.
Your words define you. Even Nigeria, which is the region’s heavyweight is careful with regards to utterances about the West. Either the president is a very brave man or a foolhardy one. The imperialist powers are not to be trifled with on a whim. These are not the poor illiterate youths, who were massacred by an inept police force. I see echoes of Macbeth here.
All this mudslinging is coming from APC sympathizers, truth be told Sierra Leone as a sovereign nation-state is not answerable to any Think Tank organization. They can observe, make analysis, and even report their findings. However, just like any other organization they can be swayed or even be agents of regime change in a guise. For instance, the Carter Center is an institution designed to grade democratic practices of countries in the global south but lacks the spine to critique lapses in the US electoral processes. How ironic, Sierra Leoneans have decided their fate, use the courts if you think the election was rigged. So funny that some ill informed individual mentioning the SAS in domestic politics. The SAS only came to Sierra Leone to rescue captured Royal Irish Regiments members from the West Side Boys. So I don’t get the angle of the argument this individual is pushing…or perhaps attempting to suggest that western powers will particularly punish President Bio. While talking about punishment please add Col. Dumbuya next door to the list, I guess Sierra Leone is just a country that western powers exert force upon to keep in check. The lust for naked/absolute power have disillusioned or maybe will drive some APC bigots to commit treasonable acts.
Here we have it. Maada Bio has gone overboard. History has taught him nothing. His entourage (particularly his foreign minister, David Francis) know nothing. What we have here is little Bio daring and challenging the Western world. Through out his days in the army, the chances are that he never read military history, and he most certainly never read about intricate operations which special forces of Western intelligence agencies have pulled off. Has he already forgotten what British special forces (SAS) did to the ill-fated West Side Boys during the country’s civil war?
What would an alignment with Russia bring to the table right now, embroiled as it is in a protracted conflict with Ukraine? The Russians have more sense than to waste their time trying to retrieve a leader in the north western tip of Africa, whose people have voted out, from the clutches of his political demise.
The Chinese? Well they may do something if Bio is ready and willing to sell us to them. But even they can be discouraged by the collective effort of the west, who would not fail to point out to them the folly of investing in a country that’s on the brink of total collapse.
Bio is a featherweight with guts to go against a heavyweight (The West). Let us be prepared for his funeral service. Alpha Kanu should be informed as the one chosen to give the eulogy; Victor Foh, Alpha Saidu Bangura, should be two of the pallbearers.
“The Chinese? Well they may do something if Bio is ready and willing to sell us to them.”
If you’re talking about selling SL to the Chinese, do not forget the previous APC-Government.
It really pains to read such comments here.
Have you forgotten the hundreds of illegal Chinese Citizens who the former APC allowed into the Country to exploit our Minerals ? It is the APC Party that is Socialist, just check in the History of the Party.
Pres. Putin among one of the First to congratulate Pres. Bio could be another infleuence of the charming First Lady at Work. This has nothing to do with Sierra Leone wanting to Go Socialist.
Sierra Leone is our country and some of us have no where to go. Please, please, please, let this problem solve now. We need peace in this country
We don’t need peace we need equal rights, treatment and Justice if we’re afforded with that we’re ol
Alpha Kanu , if you are not true to yourself how can you be true to others?
On January 6th 2021, America lost the moral rectitude to preach democracy to anyone else. Until they hold and bring Trump to book, there’ll be little they can say about democracy.
How can you tell someone to go to court and the person fully know that the judges are your accomplices?