Political Parties Urged to Adopt Electoral Justice
By Titus Boye-Thompson, London
In the preceding weeks, much column depth has been given over to the examination of “electoral justice” in Sierra Leone as a deliberate policy to secure democracy in the body politic.
The concept, though new as a policy angle for any political party to adopt, is nonetheless a much rewarding one since it seeks a clear and pragmatic approach to ensuring that the mandate of the people is respected at any electoral cycle. Many people have confused the position of the erstwhile Leader of the party, who was elected as flag bearer going into the 2023 Presidential and general elections, Dr Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara to be a position aimed at retaining control of the leadership of the party or as one to still keep him in the political limelight as a person of avowed interest in the politics of Sierra Leone. The above two cannot be far from the truth but in any event, why should anyone begrudge Dr Samura Kamara his aspiration to be recognized for his place in the political dynamics of Sierra Leone at this moment in time, is a matter for conjecture.
The context of making a clear case for “electoral justice” as a requisite for securing democracy in Sierra Leone is one of the foundational policies of our time that would to a very large extent turn politics on its head. The basic principle of this policy is openness, transparency and fairness in the conduct and management of elections. To make it very clear, the arguments of electoral justice spread to all types of elections, not just for Presidential elections. In this regard, even our lower-level elections and others leading up to the election of the next APC flag bearer would have to be approved as viable for ascertaining electoral justice is prevailing within the political establishment. Maybe it is this realisation that in future, all elections conducted in Sierra Leone must adopt fair rules / procedures and conducted under frameworks guaranteed to be just and fair is what frightens some within our body politic, but this is again a matter for contemplation.
Dr Samura Kamara may have disturbed the hornet’s nest in forging ahead with this campaign for a better democracy and a more transparent way to protect the mandate of the people. However, we must bear in mind that this very same ethos catapulted former President Ernest Bai Koroma into a renowned African statesman after he had secured a string of successful elections monitoring assignments. He did this by making it a point of duty to engage all sides to be just in the electoral process wherever he went. By taking on this mantle at this time, Dr Samura Kamara has followed in the footsteps of his former party leader to ensure that winning of a Presidential election in Sierra Leone must depend on those who vote and not on those who count the votes. Political pundits agree that it is not a far-fetched idea that Sierra Leone could be drawn into a very brutal and bitter tribal war as a result of this rampant dismissal of the peoples’ mandate. They point to the fact that it was the impunity of the actions of the then Electoral Commissioner Konneh, which triggered the attention of the international community and the very quick steps taken to intervene and call for cross party dialogue and discussions aimed at reducing the tensions. No one wants to see the recurrence of such brutal violence that was characterised by the last civil war in Sierra Leone even though that war was not by any account driven by tribal hues. The potential for conflict with such brutal outcomes is therefore not a scenario that we should tolerate as a consequence of political engagement.
The case for “electoral justice” is therefore well made, that it would prevent any prospect for conflict and violence within the body politic, respect the mandate of the people, secure their votes and allow political dispensations to reflect the wishes of the voters of Sierra Leone. Those who have been engaged in this campaign must never relent on such a dignified path that would in the end, accord for a
potentially fluid democracy and a peaceful transfer of power whenever the people demand it. Nothing will make our leaders more accountable to the people who vote them into power.
