Leader of the Second largest opposition Party in Sierra Leone Hon. Saa Emerson Lamina has requested from members of the Joint ACP- EU Joint Parliamentary Committee on Political Affairs to call to order the EU Ambassador to Sierra Leone Manuel Muller for interfering in the politics of Sierra Leone.
Speaking during the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly Hon. Lamina stated that it is sad to note that some faction of the International Community who should support Sierra Leone’s democratic gains are rather undermining it through their actions.
The Honourable cited Amb. Muller, whom he said “has become the mouthpiece and an extension of the main Opposition Party – The APC”.
The C4C leader informed the ACP-EU Parliamentarians as he catalogued the actions of Ambassador Muller as firstly he has been on record of interfering in recent parliamentary bye-election in Constituency 056. He stated that though the Ambassador was not an accredited observer, “he was seen on a motor bike moving from one polling station to another polling station making unsavory statement about the President and his Government”
Furthermore, Hon Saa Emerson Lamina cited another means of interference of the EU Ambassador on the works of the Electoral Commission, an Independent body.
He alleges that Amb. Muller has on many occasions attempted to influence its Chairman and commissioners as the Ambassador has been on record saying : “ that in Makeni, the main opposition strong hold, I saw a huge crowd of people turning out to register; where as in Bo, the governing Party stronghold, people were few. How come now that more people registered in Bo than Makeni”.
Hon Lamina assert that “this is an inciting comment that has the propensity of creating instability in our country”.
On the issue of the Propotional Representations that the country will be using in the forth coming elections, Hon Emerson Lamina stated that In 2020, the EU in Sierra Leone supported a consultative conference of political actors and civil society to discuss electoral reforms in Sierra Leone. One key recommendation from the conference was the adoption of the proportional representation system as the form of elections in Sierra Leone.
On that basis, in Nov. 2022, President Juilus Maada pursuant to section 38A of the constitution of Sierra Leone directed that elections be conducted using the PR System,
“Amb. Muller also opposed it contrary to the position earlier adopted in an EU sponsored consultative conference in 2020.
On other occassion, the Hon stated that, Amb. Muller referred to a democratically elected Government as a ‘faction’ during the August 10th”.
The C4C Leader in Parliament called on the Members of Parliament in his motion to “hereby move that the EU immediately calls Amb. Muller to order as this will save our democracy”.
A representative from the European Union Action Services (EEAS) took note of the motion and informed the gathering that they will look into the issue, as EU it is their responsibility to strengthen bilateral relationship with countries.
Betty Milton
Information Attache
Brussels
324 67605529
Kadiebetty@gmail.com
