By Amara Thoronka
President Bio & Dr. Samura Kamara signing an earlier peace commitment
I have always maintained that governing and opposition politicians are not enemies but people sharing the ultimate ambition to gain or retain power and legitimate control over the governance of the nation. Politics is a game, and for it to play, politicians [the real players] create political rivalry which is often misperceived by many supporters as war. Supporters who blindly follow the fake battle between and among politicians have always regretted fighting for people who would end up embracing one another with warm hug and delight.
Politicians in Sierra Leone have always found a way to strike compromise for the sake of stability amid tense disagreements over election outcome and other governance tenets. This has been so for quite a long time. After the 2023 elections, the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party refused to take part in governance, claiming electoral improprieties. After a peace dialogue championed by the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion and the international body, the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) and the APC signed a peace communique, agreeing to do a range of things, among which was for APC elected lawmakers, mayors, chairpersons and councillors to take their seats in parliament and council, something they had refused to do after the elections. With smiles, leader of APC, Dr. Samura Kamara, and government representative at the dialogue Chief Minister David Sengeh, signed the peace communique and things became relatively normal. It was to the amazement of many who had thought the opposing factions were going to trade blows at the peace dialogue, but such expected blows were transformed into handshakes and hugs. Yes, the APC accepted to take their elected parliamentary and council seats and every other thing fell in place.
To address loopholes and challenges in our electoral laws and systems in subsequent elections, both the APC and the SLPP led government at the post-election peace dialogue agreed for the President to establish an Electoral Laws and Systems Review Committee which has come to be popularly known as tripartite committee because it has three representations: the APC, the government and the international community. Though its mandated has been misrepresented by some members of the public, what is clearly obvious is that the said committee, which is expected to put out its report soon as it has wrapped up work, was only establish to review our electoral laws and systems and provide recommendations for better conduct of subsequent elections and not to annul 2023 elections or call for a rerun as only the supreme court has that power and authority.
It is against this clarity on the mandate and work of the tripartite committee that has caused rumours and threats of a violent protest if the committee does not recommend for annulment of the 2023 election and ask President Julius Maada Bio to step aside even when members of the committee has made it consistently clear that they are not charged with such mandate or empowered by any law to make such declarations. As usual, Adebayor, a ‘Sierra Leonean’ who resides in the Netherlands has asked people to take to the streets in violence and oust the democratically elected president. Adebayor has influenced several violent protests since President Bio came to power in 2018, resulting to loss of lives and valuables, among other sad consequences. The retired brigadier general President Julius Maada Bio has however warned strongly that anyone who would want to use violence to oust his government or disrupt the stability of the state would be faced with equal resistance. “If you come with bullet, you would meet bullet,” the President said recently.
As a way to prevent reoccurrence of previous fatal Adebayor influenced violence for which the opposition was blamed by the incumbent which perceived him to be an operative of the main opposition, both the governing SLPP and the opposition APC have put out a joint statement condemning any attempt to disrupt the peace of the country. The joint statement issued on Monday 3rd June 2024 is titled “SLPP and APC unite to fight hate speech and promote peaceful political discourse”. It is signed by Umaru Napoleon Koroma and Lansana Dumbuya, national secretary general of the SLPP and APC respectively.
“The Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) and the All Peoples Congress (APC) express our concern over the rising tensions in our political discourse, both within Sierra Leone and among our diaspora communities. The SLPP and APC have jointly committed to the Agreement for National Unity to address these challenges. This landmark agreement aims to peacefully and respectfully resolve political differences; strengthen our democratic institutions; resume regular cross-party dialogue; and unite Sierra Leoneans across all divides. This pledge reflects our shared dedication to advancing Sierra Leone’s broader national interest,” the two dominant political noted in the joint statement.
They went further to express that they “firmly support free speech and freedom of the press as fundamental rights that uphold our democracy. However, these rights come with responsibilities and must never be abused”.
The joint statement noted that both the SLPP and APC are of the belief that free speech should not be used to incite violence, adding that individuals should not be disparaged based on ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, or political affiliation and that hatred against any ethnic or religious group must not be spread.
“We are gravely concerned about recent instances of hate speech by some political commentators, both in Sierra Leone and abroad. Such behavior is unacceptable and contrary to the values of both the SLPP and APC. We call on all Sierra Leoneans to reject hate speech and understand that it has no place in our political discourse,” the parties stated, while they express support for investigation and prosecution of individuals who incite violence, saying as it is a crime under Sierra Leonean law.
Both parties called on the international community to support efforts to ensure justice is served fairly and thoroughly, citing that their assistance is vital in maintaining a just and peaceful society.
On the much-anticipated tripartite committee report, the SLPP and APC warned that: “As the deadline for the final report of the Electoral Review Committee approaches, we anticipate an intensification of political discourse. We call on all Sierra Leoneans to engage in this dialogue respectfully and with dignity, avoiding personal attacks and threats of violence. Hate speech has no place in our country, and those who spread it have no place in our political parties.”
According to the joint statement, both the SLPP and APC are dedicated to continuously monitoring and addressing hate speech and violence. “We will collaborate with civil society organizations and international partners to ensure a safe and respectful political environment,” they assured.
The joint statement of the two most followed and prominent political parties in Sierra Leone maintained that the SLPP and APC are committed to building a peaceful and respectful Sierra Leone for all its citizens. “Let us unite to create a future where political discourse is conducted with respect and our democratic values are upheld,” they encouraged their supporters and sympathizers.
As leaders of these rivalry political parties have agreed unanimously to promote national peace, unity and responsible discourse, their supporters are expected to keep and consolidate the peace as it is clear now that any supporter or group of supporters of these parties who perpetrate violence on political grounds would be doing so on their own and not on behalf of their parties or political leaders. Let us keep the peace. We gain when we are together, irrespective of our attachments.
Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on Friday, June 5th , 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)