I spoke with one of our U.S. Congressmen in the United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and my regular source at the U.S State Department Bureau of African Affairs today on matters of serious concerns surrounding the forthcoming three- tier elections in Sierra Leone.
I read to them newspaper clips and comments by Sierra Leoneans on social media about the prospects of President Maada Bio going unopposed in the June 24th Presidential Elections.
While I am not at liberty to disclose everything discussed , I learnt one thing today that the U.S and other international stakeholders are seized with commitment to ensure that free, fair and credible elections will be conducted in not only in Sierra Leone but Nigeria, Guinea and other African nations going to the polls this year.
The U.S officials reiterated to me, publisher of one of Sierra Leone’s leading online newspapers, President Joe Biden’s admonishment to African leaders invited to the White House during the U.S/ Africa Summit last December that free, fair and credible elections be conducted in their countries this year. I was assured that the U.S .President meant everything he said and that the U.S is committed to the cherished values of multi-party democracy and the concept of free and fair elections.
I had just finished writing my report on these discussions when somebody posted in the 900 member – COCORIOKO WhatsApp Forum a news report from the Sierra Leone Parliament that the Head of the European Union ( EU) Delegation to Sierra Leone , Ambassador Manuel Muller today told the Speaker of Parliament , Dr. Abass Bundu (Whom he visited at his chambers) that an EU Electoral assessment team will soon come to Sierra Leone to meet with all the political actors “for the purposes of determining the existence of appropriate conditions for the holding of competitive, democratic , transparent and credible elections that will be generally acceptable to all and sundry. ”
There was a striking similarity between what the head of the EU Delegation told the Speaker and what I got from the U.S. officials today.
My conclusion is that, given these commitments by international stakeholders that free, fair and credible elections will be ensured in Sierra Leone, nobody is at freedom to devise any scheme that will cause Sierra Leone to stage a charade in the form of elections this year.
I take particular note of the EU boss’ diplomatic use of the phrase COMPETITIVE ELECTIONS in his statement to the Speaker as reported by the Public Relations Department of the Sierra Leone Parliament. This negates the possibility of occurring whatever notions SLPP supporters are nursing that President Maada Bio might go unopposed in the presidential elections this year.
I also want to remind my compatriots that because of the concept of globalization, which governs the international economy, politics, social affairs and international relations, no country is an island as it used to be and there is no hope of any third world country, especially, becoming isolationist and exclusionist in the conduct of its national affairs.
President Bio and the SLPP are compelled to ensure internationally- accepted best practices in the conduct of the forthcoming elections, to forestall any possibilities of another resurgence of conflict, with its potential for spill overs to other neighbouring West African nations.
I want to use this opportunity to enjoin our APC comrades to remain calm and law-abiding in the face of manifest machinations by this government and its agents to spread fear and apprehensions about the oncoming presidential Elections in Sierra Leone this year. It will not happen; I want to assure you all.
From time to time, I will keep you updated on issues in the international realm.
May God bless Sierra Leone and save the State.
KABS KANU
SENIOR ADVISER, APC.
Please read the news report below from the Sierra Leone Parliament
HEAD OF EU DELEGATION TO SIERRA LEONE VISITS SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT
The Head of European Union Delegation to Sierra Leone, Ambassador Manuel Muller on Wednesday 11/01/2023, visited the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu in his Chambers at Parliament building in Freetown.
Ambassador Manuel Muller recalled the last meeting Mr. Speaker had with diplomats and said that this time his visit was predicated on EU’s assistance to Parliament.
He spoke on the need to determine implementation of the Bo Declaration of 2019, and progress on the reviews of the Standing Orders of Parliament in light of stakeholders’ inputs to reflect the current realities in Parliament. He also said he wanted to know what are the plans to take the reviews forward and its subsequent adoption by Parliament.
Ambassador Muller spoke about an EU electoral assessment team that will soon come to the country and will meet with all the political actors in the country for the purposes of determining the existence of appropriate conditions for the holding of competitive, democratic, transparent and credible elections that will be generally acceptable by all and sundry. He said the EU advance election assessment team will also measure progress on the implementation of the recommendations of the last EU election observation team to Sierra Leone. He assured of EU’s continued support to election and the promotion of democratic competition in the country. He also called on political parties to comply with the rule of law for electoral purposes.
Reacting, the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu said for the Standing Orders, it is a work in progress, and he is waiting for the report on same to determine the next phase of the reviews on the Standing Orders of Parliament. He also said that such a review will generate debate across the aisle and may take into consideration emerging developments.
He also thanked the EU for its continued assistance to Parliament, and expressed dissatisfaction on some of the work done by UNOPS contractor. He said he had set up a Committee regarding same and he is waiting to receive the technical report which he will eventually share with the EU on the status of the implementation of the EU parliamentary renovation project.
He also said that the country is in readiness for the conduct of the 2023 general elections, and called on all political parties fielding candidates for those elections to endeavor to conform with democratic principles as mandatorily enshrined in the national laws of the land. He stressed that democracy and respect for the rule of law are not mutually exclusive and therefore called on all political parties to be democratic within their internal structures as required by law within the stipulated time, so that we will have an election that is peaceful, transparent, democratic and generally accepted by all and sundry.
