Public Statement: Stop the Political Apartheid against PDL

2023 is electioneering year in Sierra Leone, ending one term of governance and beginning of the process for another term, according to the 1991 multiparty Constitution. This is correct, but what is happening on the ground appears to be there is a grand conspiracy behind the scene to scorn the process as a whole fraudulent package.

Our suspicion stem out of our experience in the last elections held in Sierra Leone. Elections that were supposed to take place in 2017, according to the Sierra Leonean Constitution, were instead unscrupulously held a year later in 2018. This machismo politics was never practiced in the dark days of the one party rule in the country. No one, not even ECOWAS and other international development partners dared to challenge this constitutional coup since 2018, despite complaints from the People’s Democratic League (PDL).

The method used to carry out this constitutional coup was the Manichaean Maginot line pattern, in which democracy was robbed away from our people-both Sierra Leoneans living in the country and in the diaspora. First was the issue of dual citizenship which was introduced to exclude Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora, and second was the politicisation of registration of political parties in the country, not to include registration of This happened in the face of the international community, yet the perpetrators went scot free, and instead innocent Sierra Leoneans were deprived of the precious rights and freedoms.

The People’s Democratic League strongly condemns this political apartheid politics as a dangerous threat to peace and stability in Sierra Leone. Even at the peril of killing our democracy, the former Acting Registrar of the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), Humu Hawa Zainab Moseray had the audacity to threaten our members that the PPRC will use the Sierra Leone Police against the PDL.

Right from the word go, our position is crystal clear. The People’s Democratic League is a God-fearing, peaceful, non-violence, law-abiding political Movement and nothing will divert us to abandon these principles. The PDL was established in Freetown in 1986 and its members abound in every corner of Sierra Leone. We strong believe that the discrimination of PDL, our members and supporters in the registration of political parties, was a complete violation of the Constitution of Sierra Leone with impunity; as well as an affront to the July 1999 Lome Peace Accord and recommendations of the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), both condemned exclusion in the political process as one of the root causes of the 11-year brutal and fratricidal war in Sierra Leone.

The danger here is the manner in which exclusion has become a working official agenda to prop the dynasty rule, and by extension to falter our democratic institutions. The media has kept mute in this brutal injustice. All attempts to destroy the PDL, our members and supporters have failed, and the next action is to mislead stakeholders in and outside Sierra Leone. We believe Sierra Leone is not a fascist Republic, which holds State Institutions hostage. “You can fool some of the people for some time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time”, to borrow the words of the late Jamaican Reggae singer, Robert Nesta Marley (Commonly known Bob Marley), who died in 1981 at the age of 36.

But as we have entered the New Year, and year of general elections, we will accelerate our campaign until PDL, our members and supporters are treated equally like any other group of Sierra Leoneans in other political Movements/parties. We know the sane world will surely take the necessary action to bring an end to this obnoxious political apartheid system against selected Sierra Leoneans, mostly Sierra Leoneans who stand for peace, clean democracy, human rights, the rule of law, inclusivity, environmental sustainability, justice, freedom and dignity.

The unstopped intimidation that gives expression in PDL’s registration process and the meddling mentality of one Mr. Prince Coker, who is not even an employee of the PPRC bring further evidence to the brutal injustice meted on our members and supporters. This is nothing but the practice of political apartheid in the 21^st century. How ironic it is that PPRC is depriving Sierra Leoneans of their rights and victims of these indignities to cheer them. This is unacceptable and we call on the international community to take action and free our democracy from the stranglehold of greedy, avaricious and ungodly men and women.

Politics in Sierra Leone is rudely divided and political parties are forced to choose between the two ruling dynasty, i.e. ethnically-based or the regionally-divided politics of Mende Land-Temne Land. The questions we pondering at now are: “Why are people trusted with the management of our institutions, opt to violate the rights and democratic freedoms of our people? Why do we hide behind politics only to oppress the Sierra Leonean people? Are we still in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s of the one party or military rule? Are concerned Sierra Leoneans to be blamed if they have all the criteria to form and register political parties, and participate in the democratic process? Are our international development partners now confined in the board room of hypocrisy and double-standards? Who will the Sierra Leonean trust to reinforce our democracy?

Cognisant of concerns of holding the 2023 elections in a peaceful, fair and democratic environment, we, members of the People’s Democratic League (PDL) seek our final political party registration certificate for the PPRC. The truth of the matter is that, the exclusion of the PDL in the 2018 electoral process was extremely unpopular and politically-motivated. It was undemocratic, unjust and provocative. There are growing concerns today about the lack of a level-playing field, potential voter fraud, voters’ apathy, the growing political fissures among our diverse communities and ethnic backgrounds and whether the 2023 general elections would be spared of politically-motivated violence. These are issues that are worrying to the People’s Democratic League, our members and supporters. Africans on the continent and the diaspora, as well as the larger international community are worried too especially, whether the outcomes of the coming elections would be accepted by the losers.

Speculation is rife about threats of politically-motivated or ethnically-inspired violence. Ordinary Sierra Leoneans were at the receiving end of all election related or coup violence. The Government has promised peaceful, free, fair and credible elections. Whether the Government will achieve its desire to hold clean elections in the current hostile political environment is yet to be desired. Thus the Government, opposition and stakeholders must come together and discuss the future of our peace, security and democracy. The international community should play the role of facilitators to call another national conference to discuss the future of Sierra Leone. Our candid opinion is that, the election date for 2023 is not feasible, unless the current hostile political environment is addressed and a realistic timetable is set for peaceful, free, fair and credible elections.

Behind every bullet are words, narratives, political discourses. No one can draw a straight line between the politically inflammatory rhetoric of political leaders with their supporters, and the violent confrontation between the Sierra Leone Police and youths, on 10^th August, 2022 which resulted into many deaths and destruction of property. At a minimum, one must pose the question of responsibility.

If a political Party thinks in its dream world that it will grab votes by turning the card on the wrong side, which is ethnic or regional divide, then it courts for a wakeup call. If a political Party targets one ethnic group or region for demonization will be a timely reminder that such political Party or Leader is out to uproot our democracy through ethnic or regional-baiting campaigns to divide our country.

The truth has slapped the failed leaders in our country, in the face. They can no longer convince any sane person and pretence about caring for the wellbeing of the Sierra Leonean nation, while in actual fact they are responsible for the poverty, suffering and indignities we face today as a nation. It is a fact that the nation’s past and present wounds are evergreen, fresh, and haunting most Sierra Leonean workers who have lost their jobs, the teeming unemployed youths, unemployed university graduates, who cannot make ends meet.

The People’s Democratic League is here to make a difference, heal national wounds and restore Sierra Leone’s lost dignity.

We conclude by reiterating our stand, that, we, in the PDL will condemn anywhere in Sierra Leone we find these unpatriotic and reactionary practices give expression: “Where there is no lawless bureaucracy, no lawless public” and “If we can’t have it then we destroy it”.  Sierra Leoneans must understand that to put our country first before any other parochial interests, we must sustain our democracy through peaceful, free, fair and inclusive process. This we believe can be achieved only by creating conducive and peaceful environment.  We must all work together to ensure that no amount of incitements, ethnic hatreds or regional divide politics or even security threats will stop the 2023 general elections from taking place as announced by President Madda Bio, who has promised the nation to respect the rights of all Sierra Leoneans, to reinforce our country’s democracy and to deliver a peaceful, free, fair, inclusive and credible election this year.

God bless Sierra Leone!

(Chief) Alimamy Bakarr Sankoh

Founding Father and Leader, and Presidential Aspirant

People’s Democratic League (PDL) 

 

4^th January, 2023