That President Julius Maada Bio has last Wednesday 22 May, 2024 informed a gathering of traditional leaders in Bo that there will be no re-run of the June 24, 2023 elections, except in 2028, means so much to the opposition All People’s Congress. It means that despite the efforts by opposition representatives at the Tripartite Committee unearthing electoral irregularities that were perpetuated during the June 24 poll, the APC on the other hand should prepare themselves for the challenges ahead, by primarily slating a suitable timetable for the election of a new national executive. An executive with very strong leadership qualities that will bring the APC party a resound victory come 2028. The reason for encouraging the APC as an alternative government is to avoid trusting the pro-SLPP Tripartite Committee conclusions/findings that have already been prejudiced by President Bio irrespective of the huge credibility questions lingering on…
As recent as last month, others were strictly cautioned from pre-empting the conclusion of the work of the committee. Nonetheless, President Bio and the SLPP have made the outcome of the committee’s findings public, by announcing that there will be no re-run of the June 24 2023 elections. The president made the pronouncement ahead of the much anticipated disclosure of the findings of the Tripartite Committee investigations into inaccuracies that were associated with the June 24 national polls, as if he had been clued by the committee. ‘We have done with elections long ago. The only elections we have shall be held in 2028’, disclosed, President Bio, at the coronation of paramount chiefs in Bo.
What does President Bio’s statement regarding the unfinished and controversial June polls mean, as a ‘suspect’ in the ongoing inquiry? Is the Tripartite Committee telling President Bio one thing, and tell the other parties something completely different? Is the Tripartite Committee also telling the world that President Bio is now the self-designated official spokesman of the Tripartite Committee? Are President Bio and the SLPP not ‘suspects’ in the continuing elections investigations? Why in the first place President Bio should be making announcement for and on behalf of the Tripartite Committee, pre-empting the outcome of the conclusions of the investigations? Were others not cautioned to refraining from pre-empting the outcome of the elections probe? The committee and its partners should reply to these legitimate questions and concerns being raised therein for and in the best interest of democratic transparency and accountability.
Certainly, no one is contesting Bio being runner of his second term in office. He has spoken for and on behalf of the committee, which by mere representation and clear understanding of his statement is the official position of the Tripartite Committee… that he/Bio will continue with his second term and that there will be no re-run of the ‘flawed’ June 24 elections. Then, so be it the infamous elections investigations committee be renamed as SLPP Tripartite Committee; setup to probe thyself as against the concerns of the opposition APC.
As it stands it is incumbent on the elections investigations body to come out with a strong statement either debunking or clarifying President Bio’s statement to his partisans in Bo and the world over about the conclusions of the works of the Tripartite Committee. The Tripartite Committee’s quietness on President Bio’s pre-emptive statement concerning the findings of the elections investigations committee implies that they/probity body favours the ruling SLPP and President Bio. That also tells that their works lack fairness. So until the Tripartite Committee publically reply/counter and clarify President Bio’s statement on the outcome of committee’s conclusions FORUM NEWS SL shall continue to hold the Tripartite Committee accountable for their collective failures in setting the records straight on the conclusion of their work. It also speaks to the facts that the Tripartite Committee has failed to do the right things in the best interest of peace, democracy, and national unity. Moreover, failure of the Tripartite Committee to reply to President Bio’s pre-emptive statement clearly informs the public and the world that Tripartite Committee has already revealed outcome of their findings to President Bio and his SLPP led administration even before conclusion.
The acts and words of President Bio sound no good news to the APC party in the elections probe. They need not be complacent with such pronouncement, especially by one of their contenders in the much ‘flawed’ June 24 polls. The message is clearly heard that President Bio will continue with his snail-paced second term. And no matter what the APC do there will be no re-run. The unfinished June 24 2023 polls was long declared won by the SLPP and Julius Maada Bio by the pro-ruling party Mohamed K. Konneh of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone. That cannot be reversed anymore. Not even for the peace and stability of Sierra Leone, that is why Bio in his non-leadership tongue said whoever attempt with a bullet, will be met with a bullet. The people are no longer interested in war mongering, but their already fragile peace.
So stop fanning the flames of war Mr President. Good governance is not war mongering!
To the moribund opposition, riddled with internal cracks and power struggle, be it for membership, legitimacies over who owns where, and who should be meeting and addressing the people for and on behalf of the APC are not the concerns of the people now moving forward but how the APC party can be taken to a constructive national delegates’ conference and elect a new executive. The people want an APC national executive that will be mandated to run the affairs of the APC for another five years.
Fast forward to functional opposition party operations, the APC must manage their expectations regarding the conclusion of the pro-government Tripartite Committee investigations into the June 24 elections. You have already been directly told by President Bio that a re-run which has been one of the hopes of the APC won’t materialize.
So APC stakeholders must prepare their party well to elect new leaders and by extension try to form the next government and avoid relying on the failed Tripartite deal. It won’t work for the APC at all. So don’t waste time and resource on it. For Dr Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara and Co. who has been hiding under the shaky tripartite canopy, on borrowed time should step aside and allow more competent contenders to vie for elective national positions in the party’s executive. The APC needs to move on with their activities ahead of the approaching delegates’ conference without waiting for the outcome of the Tripartite Committee.
