According to many people following the work of the Tripartite Committee, there is no way that the main opposition APC can expect for the work, findings or the recommendations of the Committee to be hopeful for the main opposition party.
A former opposition MP belonging to the 5th Parliament that is known to this medium said the hope for his party is to try and see how they can better prepare for the 2028 election as it is a foregone conclusion that regardless of what the committee unearths, President Julius Maada Bio will get to finish his second term.
“I don’t think that there is really any hope that the party will be able to realize our true ambition of seeing Mr. Bio step down from the presidency and make way for Dr. Samura Kamara to become president. Anyone that thinks that that will happen is really out of touch with reality, the reality on the ground as things are presently. I think the party should take whatever comes from the Tripartite Committee recommendations and start preparing for the future,” said the former MP.
The MP was speaking to Daybreak with a member of his communications team that said he is also a strong supporter and member of the APC. Making his point the public relations specialist said the APC has done a lot to make democracy vibrant in Sierra Leone and has improved on the country’s democratic credentials.
”However, I don’t think that there is any hope that we can reverse the ruling party government train that is already on the way. The best chance that the party had of making a stronger case to reverse anything or everything that has happened since the June 24, 2023 election was to continue staying out of parliament, even up to present. But by joining the SLPP in the house we have given legitimacy to President Bio’s regime and second term mandate. Now that we are at this point I don’t think that even the Tripartite Committee’s recommendation is going to change that,” said the young APC member.
Speaking further, the former APC Member of Parliament said to expect President Julius Maada Bio to step down or for the main opposition to expect any deal of forming a coalition government with the SLPP can lead the nation to a situation that could destabilize the state.
“Anyone that expects or demands that President Bio steps down for Samura Kamara to take over will be asking for a civil conflict. That kind of thing should not even be in the people’s hopes. We have allowed for President Bio to be declared winner of the election, he has hired a cabinet, we have gone back to parliament and our representatives are doing their work as MP’s so I don’t see how we can expect for all this to be undone even with the committee’s recommendations,” said the former APC MP.
The ranking member of the main opposition executive said that he and many concerned members of the APC were very disappointed when the APC returned to Tower Hill. He said that was the first indication that the APC sold the people out and has accepted chief electoral commissioner Mohamed Konneh’s announcement that President Bio and the SLPP won the June 24 election.
“It was as if the party was doing what we allowed to happen in 2018. By returning to the parliament and the councils we have accepted that we will be part of the president’s second term government. This is not something that many people are willing to admit and accept. What else do you think it means when after we had said we don’t recognize the incumbent president’s electoral victory and had started a parallel government based in Makeni for us to make a U-turn and return back to join the ruling party government?” he asked.
Meanwhile the hotshot former APC member of the 5th Parliament said that the work of the Tripartite Committee is very important as it will address future elections issues going forward.
“But the June 24 election is already over. The committee’s work will not change it. It is already water under the bridge. The work of the committee will have an impact on future elections. It will not change anything about the second term regime of President Maada Bio. I don’t think that our western partners are expecting it to change the current set up under Bio. It is time to start preparing for 2028,” said the APC MP from the Fifth Parliament.
