By Kabs Kanu
In the face of all complaints by some Sierra Leoneans that the international community is sitting down supinely and allowing politics and democracy to go to the dogs in the country, two great forces—The European Union Observer Mission and the U.S. Embassy in Sierra Leone–have not been silent. These two agencies have been keeping their eyes wide-open on the politics being played in the country, like hawks ,and where it has been necessary, they have come out to meet with the political players in diplomatic fashion to find out what was going on or to express their concerns.
So, by these interventions by the EU Elections Observer Mission and the U.S. Embassy, Sierra Leoneans who feel that their nation had been abandoned by the guarantors of democracy and good governance often get a soothing feeling at lease that all is not lost and there are forces looking over how the game is being played in Sierra Leone. The final arbiter will be what these forces will do should President Maada Bio rig the elections, as widely feared by Sierra Leoneans.
Two days ago, the EU Elections Observer Team pleased Sierra Leoneans when it was announced that they had gone to the embattled founder of the opposition National Grand Coalition ( NGC ) , Dr. Kandeh Yumkella , to discuss pertinent matters with him in the wake of the highly-publicized and sensational implosion the NGC has undergone in the past week, with a wave of resignations by top officials, following the announcement by Yumkella himself that he was leaving politics but will continue the deliberations President Maada Bio of the ruling SLPP had set in motion with him last year ( Interpreted by Sierra Leoneans as confirmation of widespread fears that he was quitting the NGC to rejoin the SLPP to become President Bio’s running mate in the forthcoming elections ).
Since Yumkella’s announcement, the political landscape has been rocky, with Sierra Leoneans on social media and in newspapers blasting Kandeh Yumkella for abandoning the THIRD FORCE , which many had put hopes on to break the stranglehold and the duopoly of the SLPP and the APC in Sierra Leone politics. Yumkella was being accused of selling out and frustrating the hopes of the Sierra Leoneans that wanted to see a third strong political party challenging the SLPP and the APC. They accused Kandeh Yumkella of being an opportunist and a political carpet bagger.
And from Yumkella’s own announcement on Twitter about the visit on him by the EU Elections Observer Mission , it was very clear that the EU Mission had carried to him the concerns of Sierra Leoneans. Yumkella wrote:
“It was a pleasure to welcome the EU Elections Observer Mission to my home earlier today. We discussed the importance of political competition in democracies, contestability and vulnerability of small parties, and the dangers of divisive ethno-regional/identity politics.”
When you run a fine comb over the Yumkella disclosure, you discover that the EU Elections Observer team was concerned about the next elections being less competitive and one-sided (Impudent SLPP supporters were already bragging that President Bio will go unopposed in the elections in June, though newspapers like COCORIOKO had been warning them that it would not happen ) .
EU is proving itself to be very much against the threatened death of democracy in Sierra Leone and the Mission and the U.S. Embassy should be commended for their efforts.
Sierra Leone, at the moment, is vulnerable to the undemocratic and unlawful machinations of President Maada Bio and the SLPP who want to turn the country into a one-party state of some sorts, controlled by the SLPP and his people of the Southeast and it is refreshing that the EU delegation also discussed with Kandeh Yumkella the dangers and divisiveness of ethno-regional politics and identity. That is another big problem threatening peace and stability in Sierra Leone. The Maada Bio government is very tribalistic and it is most appropriate that the EU is flagging that issue.
The EU Elections Observer Team is on top of its game in Sierra Leone. Hats off to them.
