The leadership of the vocal opposition Unity Party – UP has urged the Chief Electoral Commissioner and National Returning Officer of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone to provide the electorate with answers about the conduct of the June 24, 2023 election.
Madam Femi Claudius-Cole last Saturday 6 July, 2024 registered serious concerns calling on the Chief Electoral Commissioner and National Returning Officer, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh to provide the nation with a detailed explanation regarding the conduct of the June 24, 2023 election. She made the call in an interview with a United States-based online TV show, “Wi Yard”, hosted by Shengbeh Pieh and Baibureh Kablai. The Unity Party leader’s call emerged few days after the CEC, Konneh disclosed plans for his retirement from the ECSL due to what he described as family reasons.
Madam Claudius-Cole said that the politics of Sierra Leone has become the business of everyone. “We have learned a whole lot of different political lessons in the last six years and more expected in the coming years which required appropriate measures moving forward instead of waiting for 2028. She informed that the conduct of the June 24 election under the supervision of the CEC, Konneh still has serious credibility challenges which the Tripartite Committee was set up to investigate and provide recommendations.
Madam Claudius-Cole observed that most of the recommendations made by the Tripartite Committee for implementation are already in the law books of Sierra Leone. The Unity Party leader is pessimistic that in a situation where in the laws of the land was not respected in the conduct of the June 24, 2023 election, not ordinary committee recommendations will be implemented. She described the incumbent political administration as one challenged with legitimacy problems ranging from credibility, transparency and the like which Konneh must provide Sierra Leoneans and friends of the country detail explanations.
Madam Claudius-Cole added that the governing Julius Maada Bio led Sierra Leone People’s Party – SLPP administration does not respect constitutionality, rule of law, transparency and accountability, human right and good governance. The firebrand female opposition politician continued that electoral justice is what everybody should be seeking and talking about instead of apportioning blames on the All People’s Congress (APC) and Dr Samura Kamara. She recalled supporting the APC through the electioneering process of the June 24 polls.
Asked about the removal of the trial by jury system from the judicial of Sierra Leone, Madam Claudius replied that: “The passing of the trial by jury bill into law by the House of Parliament indicates that the country’s law makers are nincompoops”. She disclosed that there are still few good lawyers in the country though they hardly get cases. Madam Claudius-Cole opined that any government that values democracy does not remove jury trial. She said what government under the existing political regime has done is a complete state captured, saying that a jury trial remove political influence in cases. She described the removal of the jury trial as the worse political decision that law makers have ever taken in history. “MPs should be ashamed of themselves for legitimizing travesty of justice”, said Unity Party leader, Madam Femi Claudius-Cole. She said that the MPs are just passing laws to suit their comforts as if Sierra Leone is their personal property. “I hold the PMs responsible for failing to educating the public about such a bad law, she said.
