If a week is a long time in politics, think of what five years in opposition feels like. After a 10 year stint in power, the APC Party found itself in an apparently unfamiliar territory as opposition. In those days, it was unthinkable for the incumbent to lose an election under the late President Siaka Stevens. Far from the “Orwai, Or Sai days” many saw Maada Bio’s victory in 2018 as a mark of democratic maturity. It showed that the nation had recovered from the political whiplash of the rebel war. Thankfully, our fling with self-annihilation was cauterised by war fatigue and the realisation that the barrel of the gun was not the best option.
Elections after this dark side of our history had been relatively free, fair and peaceful until the last cycle. Despite the threats, war mongering, incitements, protests, politicking, gerrymandering and political gas lighting, our nation was successfully saved from the jaws of another self-destruction. In spite of the fake news and deception used along the political spectrum, our country was corralled into a cul de sac of sanity, thanks to the patriotism of a few good men, our partners and some divine and celestial intervention that saw our country negotiate its path out of damnation.
How did we achieve that?
After the declaration of President Bio as the winner of the 2023 general elections, no one needs a reminder of what followed. Thanks to political machinations, the nation was treated to a collection of false promises, false dawns, allegations and counter allegations from both parties, including the promise of a re-run, the intervention of ECOMOG to remove President Bio, the declaration of Samura Kamara etc. It took a lot of political horse trading to restore some sanity.
We know that negotiations involve compromises, and compromises mean that no one will get everything they want. This means a little bit of give and take. One of the most difficult issues in negotiations is how you strip it of the emotion and deal with the facts. The clash of the two opposition factions’ ideas was incidentally well managed enough to give us the third idea called The Tripartite Commission (TC). Like a bereavement process, many saw the Tripartite Commission as a form of political closure to what seemed like a traumatic experience for our nascent democracy. Just when you thought that everyone was looking forward to the years to come, we now have another phrase floating across the political bandwidth: Electoral Justice.
So, what is Electoral Justice?
According to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), Electoral Justice System (E J S) “is a key instrument of the rule of law and the ultimate guarantee of compliance with the democratic principle of holding free, fair and genuine elections. The aims are to prevent and identify irregularities in elections and to provide the means and mechanisms those irregularities and punish the perpetrators”. International IDEA is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to support democracy worldwide, it focusses on strengthening democratic institutions and processes, promotes inclusive participation and accountable representation, The design of an EJS is therefore crucial to democratic legitimacy and the credibility of electoral processes.
So, if this definition is anything to go by, and if that is what the APC mean by electoral justice; to prevent and identify irregularities in elections and to provide the means and mechanisms those irregularities and punish the perpetrators”, was that not what the Tripartite Commission was set up for? With representatives of both APC and SLPP as participants and moral guarantors, who presided over a finalised and thorough assessment of electoral systems spanning 2012 -2023, is it not time to implement the areas of agreement and recommendations for improving the country’s electoral systems and democracy?
With this in mind, should the APC consider pragmatism over idealism? Is it time for the APC to concentrate on what lies ahead for 2028, or to continue crying over spilt milk? As sections of the APC continue to feel and express grief over the last elections, certain sections now see this latest focus as a diversion and distraction. Where various ideas meet in a melting pot, the divergence of opinions is inevitable. Is the APC facing another crisis of focus and direction? Is the party going to engage in a crisis between those who want to move on in preparation for 2028, or hang on to some phantom idea to remedy 2023? If the APC hopes to win the next election, is this the best way for pre-season?
In a recent article by APC stalwart Gunther A.B Daramy (theierraleonetelegraph.com-27/05/25), he appealed to Dr Samura Kamara, to prioritise “national salvation” over “personal redemption”. He stated that “the notion of electoral justice under the current regime is a facade, a mirage used to keep good men locked in battles that lead nowhere.” He reminded the party faithful that “Political power will not be handed to you ;( sic Samura) not now, not by this regime. That door is shut, bolted, and booby-trapped”. “To keep knocking is to waste time our people can no longer afford to lose.” Mr Daramy concluded that “it’s time to rally behind the next democratically elected APC candidate, to fortify our party from within and prepare it to win”. He sent a political prescription that the APC “needs unity, clarity, and selflessness; qualities you, Dr. Kamara, are uniquely positioned to embody and inspire”.
Irrespective of which political party you support, any meaningful democracy needs a viable, effective and democratic opposition. A clamour for a viable and effective opposition is not in any way a reflection of one’s political preferences or persuasion. Rather, it is the fact that such an opposition in any democracy would in part help to provide guardrails against autocracy. Let us look at what is happening in The USA today. The Republicans have a “tremendous” majority in both spheres of the political spectrum. The political thunderbolt from the unexpected loss for the Democrats is still undergoing detoxification.
While the Democrats have been transfixed into a cathartic phase, and trying to figure out how to move on from this, Trump is busy ripping up every political, every democratic, every moral and legal principles that got him the White House in the first place. While the Democrats are reeling from their loss, Trump is launching political kryptonite with reckless abandon. With America fast losing its self-proclaimed right to preach democracy to even Kim Jung Un, it is vital to know that a comatose political opposition is equal to an autocratic ruling government. This is why Sierra Leone, like any other democracy needs an effective opposition party. Even the ruling party at any given time would benefit from it and so will the citizens of our nation. If for nothing else, the APC needs to come together as advised by Mr Daramy and take part in a healthy democratic race for 2028. However, it would only do so with a badly needed overdose of “UNITY” in their ranks.
So, how do you win an election?
Like many ventures in life, money is very important, if not the most important ingredient. The APC party was once rumoured to be bankrupt. Most political parties get their finances from donations. In Sierra Leone, such donations are complemented with fund raising events. If the rumour about its being broke is true, should the APC start the fund raising now? There are some who would question the wisdom of raising funds before the election/selection of the flagbearer. That is where members have to decide whether their loyalty is to the party or to individuals. Do the party’s interests take precedence over individuals’?
No matter who is chosen, should the election of the flagbearer and VP choice be determined by the potential to win? Who has the broadest national appeal? Who is the person/s that would cut across the Red and Green regions of our nation? Which candidate has to potential to break across tribal and regional lines? It is one thing to win the votes and support of the political party. It is one thing to win the grass roots support. But it is an entirely different thing to translate that into national appeal and success. During election cycles, it is always important to identify voter preferences. There is always a trade-off between honesty and competence. How this is handled goes a long way to determine election success. In the USA, most people voted for Trump because he was honest with his views, feelings and thoughts irrespective of how repugnant it is to some people. They did not vote for him because they thought he was competent.
Should the APC put aside its internal squabbling and convince the nation that it is a united front? We know that the political whiplash that followed EBK’s appointment of Samura in 2018 significantly contributed to the APC’s internal divisions and problems. If Sierra Leone is to benefit from a healthy democratic atmosphere, the opposition needs to get its acts together. The ruling SLPP needs a political VAR, so as to spur it to further concentrate on prioritizing the needs of the people. If the SLPP has a viable opposition and not just an anaesthetised echo chamber, it would stop it from sitting on its laurels and to do more. That can only benefit the nation.
It is one thing to criticise a sitting government, but it is an entirely different thing to tell the nation about your alternative to address, resolve and deal with the problems. If the APC is hoping to dislodge the SLPP, it better prepare to tell the nation what it did in its last ten years as compared Bio’s yet to be completed ten year stint. The APC must be ready to tell the nation how it will deal with and solve all the problems it heartily and very efficiently highlights today. A diagnosis without a prescription is tantamount to non-prognosis. Votes are precious and if not the most sacred and non-violent tool to have in a democracy. Vote wisely. Winning elections is about identifying the problems and showing what you would do differently to solve them. It is not enough to lecture the people on the problems they already know. Tell them what they don’t know.
Don’t forget to turn off the light when you leave the room.
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