The recent rhetoric and antics of regime change opinionated and proliferated by Hon. Saa Emerson Lamina, Leader of C4C in the Parliament of Sierra Leone during the ACP-EU Parliamentary Session in Brussels  on 1st March 2023, has opened a pandoras box and exposes ECSL’s discrepancies over the voters registration process, to the distaste of the International Community, who heavily frowns and expressed concerns over the compilation of the voters register, as they observed, during the registration process that although more people were seen registering in the strongholds of the opposition, citing  Makeni as an  example,  the end result of the registration process shows that the stronghold of the ruling government have more people registered, using Bo as a case in point.

However, the hurly-burly of the voters’ registration process and its failings, which was leveled with brutal criticisms as to the way the process was done by ECSL, have for long been nipped in the bud, but for the recent rhetoric and antics of regime change, the issue has been refreshed by Hon. Emmrson Lamina in his brutal attempt to implicate the International Community, and armed to the teeth to assassinate the character of the European Union Country Representative to Sierra Leone, Ambassador Manuel Muller, during the ACP-EU Parliamentary Session in Brussels.

During his submission, the C4C Leader unemotionally used a sledge hammar to hit and smash the reputation of Amb. Manuel Muller, with antics and rhetoric accusing him and certain members of the International Community of undermining the electoral gains of the country, instead of giving support to the electoral process;  interference into Parliamentary bye-elections in Constituency 056 in Samaya Bendugu in the Tonkolili District,  because he rode on a motor-bike on election day, moving from one polling station to another, without accreditation, and at the same time, making revolting statement against the President and the government of Sierra Leone.  Hon Emerson Lamina furthered that the EU Ambassador is on record of saying that he saw a huge crowd turn out to register in Makeni, the opposition stronghold, and few turned out to register in Bo, the governing party stronghold, which the Amb. Muller questioned ‘’How come now that more people are registered in Bo than Makeni?’’  This question allegedly asked by the Ambassador has worried Hon. Emerson Lamina to an extent that he described  it as an incitement that will lead to instability in the country.

Lastly, Hon Lamina accused Ambassador Muller of opposing the President’s direction of the Chairman of ECSL to conduct the 2023  Elections on the basis of Proportional Representation system  (PR) pursuant to Section 38 (A)  of the Constitution of Sierra Leone (as amended in 2021). Above all, Hon. Lamina did not end his submission without reflecting on the August 10 tragedy, on which he accused Ambassador Muller to have referred to a democratically elected government as a faction, when in his words ‘’the insurrectionist moved with faceless leaders’’ He concluded that as the Leader of the second largest Opposition party in Parliament, he was speaking on behalf of majority of Sierra Leoneans, and therefore called for Ambassador Muller to be called ‘to Order’

With the aforesaid, it’s no gain saying that Hon. Emerson Lamina, whose political party in Parliament drew its membership from the Kono district, is claiming to speak on behalf of the majority of Sierra Leoneans as the Leader of C4C, a party that is presently caught in a web of disintegration, and some of its members already declared for the governing party, which he has been sympathizing with during his time as a Member of Parliament. And from what he says and does, it begs the question as to whether the issues he raised at the ACP-EU in Brussels are in good faith or it’s a calculated ploy hemmed with intrigues and manipulations to demean the international Community and Ambassador Muller, so as to have him recalled, being that he knows the political situation in the country and is on record of saying that he wants free, fair and transparent elections in Sierra Leone.

Some political analysts have said that Hon. Emerson Lamina has allowed himself to be used as a political lantern that has been remote-controlled, and once he is regulated, he gesticulates with antics and rhetoric as seen in the just concluded ACP-EU summit of MPs in Brussels.

In all his submissions, one thing that has opened a pandora’s box and exposes the integrity of ECSL in the registration process is the fact that although more people came out in large numbers to register in the North/West than the South East, it is glaring that ECSL produced a report that indicates more people registered in the South East than North/West, especially between Makeni and Bo.

It would be recalled that the voter registration process had come under heavy criticism, but the situation was managed by ECSL trying to explain the circumstances, though the majority of registrants did not believe the explanations given by them, and what made matters worse was the announcement made by ECSLL that over 200,000 names have been deleted from the voters register due to discrepancies, but failed to tell us from which district(s), region(s) or province that the names have been deleted. All these circumstances have created room for suspicion and distrust of ECSL by the International community and Sierra Leoneans. This brings to mind what Hon. Emmerson Lamina said of the relationship between ECSL and Amb. Manuel Muller, which is nothing to write home about.  It is glaring that the European Union is seeking Free, fair, peaceful, and transparent elections in Sierra Leone, and as moral guarantors of our democracy and peace in the country, anything that has the proclivity to undermine the electoral process, it’s their responsibility to raise the necessary concerns, and these concerns have been raised by Amb. Manuel Muller to the distaste of Hon. Emerson Lamina, and instead of engaging Amb Muller, he went haywire, armed to the teeth with a sledge hammer at the AU-EU parliamentary session to pierce the good name of the EU Country Representative to Sierra Leone.

However, the move by Emerson to castigate the Ambassador has been considered politically motivated and an attempt to machinate the withdrawal of the EU Ambassador from Sierra Leone before the June 24 multitier elections.  By and large, Amb Manuel Muller is well-experienced, and his level of interaction with the common man is unmatched by any other diplomat in the country. Besides, he has always aspired for free, fair, credible, and transparent elections in Sierra Leone. This is evident in the 2018 general elections, which saw the governing party having the ambiance of establishing their government, and it was not unconnected with the role played by the International Community in ensuring credible elections in Sierra Leone.

With the antics and rhetoric of Hon Emerson Lamina, public opinion in the country has slammed him as a political lantern or puppet, who has been used and remote-controlled by the ruling government to go against Ambassador Muller and the international community, accusing them of interference, incitement, and undermining the electoral gains the country has made.  The multi-million question people are asking is what does Hon Emerson Lamina wants to gain? Why is it now that he is accusing the International Community and Amb Manuel Muller of interference and incitement over genuine concerns he has made, when, in fact, the EU is the major moral guarantor of our electoral process and peace in the country? Has Hon Lamina been mindful of the fact that the EU Delegation in Sierra Leone is a major contributor to the basket fund managed by the UNDP, by which Electoral Management Bodies and other stakeholders are supported in the preparation and conduct of the June 24 peaceful and inclusive elections? Is Hon Lamina aware of the fact that the EU Delegation in Sierra Leone, in partnership with the Embassy of Ireland and UNDP, signed the financial contribution agreement to support the Electoral Management Bodies of Sierra Leone under the theme ‘’ Fostering peaceful, credible, and inclusive Elections for Sierra Leone  2022-2023’’ If so, why is Hon Emerson Lamina aggrieved over concerns raised by Amb Muller over the registration process, and what is wrong about him observing the bye-elections at Constituency 056, when he observed the bye-elections held two times in Constituency 110 and other bye-elections and the manipulations that occurred in the Koya elections and in Port Loko and Koinadugu and even in Kono.

Responding to the accusations made by Hon Emerson Lamina during the EU-ACP group meeting in Brussels, the EU Delegation expressed shock about the accusations raised and described them as not corresponding with facts and that the statement was    ‘’unfortunate and unnecessary’’ The EU, it should be noted, is contributing 7 Million Euros to support the conduct of free, fair, peaceful, credible, and inclusive elections in Sierra Leone.

Credit: Published C4D Media Newspaper