The interim leadership of one of Sierra Leone’s opposition parties, the Coalition for Change (C4C) has disowned their member of Parliament, Hon. Saa Emerson Lamina following his recent attack on the European Union for their alleged involvement in the country’s politics.

The party made this known in a press release dated 2nd March 2023 and signed by Alusine Macfoy, Interim Chairman of the party, denouncing Hon. Lamina’s statements and distancing themselves from his allegations made against the EU Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Manuel Muller.

The release reads as follows: “Transitional Interim National Officers Elections Committee (TINOEC) is hereby charged with the mandate derived by order 8 (13) to the affairs of the Coalition for Change (C4C) political party by the high court of Sierra Leone from 20th February 2023 unto the National Delegate Conference.

We wish to express our dismay in the strongest term over the unfortunate representation made by one of our members of parliament Hon. Saa Emerson Lamina at the ACP/EU parliament relating C4C) to the operations of the European Union mission in Sierra Leone.

We learned that the MP made a petition at the -ACP/EU parliamentary plenary in which he attacked the European Union mission in Sierra Leone for interference in the domestic politics of Sierra Leone and that the EU Commissioner should be called to order. He further made a lot of baseless accusations.

As a party, we wish to make it known that the views expressed by Hon Saa Emerson Lamina do not in any way represent the views and position of the C4C political party and should not be treated with any relevance. We as a political party condemn the comments made by our party’s parliamentary representative which statements were made without consultation with the key stake = holders in the party.

We in the C4C party believe that the role played by the EU and other international partners are geared towards sustaining the peace that came as a result of the terrible civil war of the 1990s. We welcome – the objective participation of the European Union and our international partners in ensuring that our nascent democracy maintains its integrity. As key actors in our nation’s socio-economic development in the promotion, protection, and sustenance of our democracy, the EU mission in Sierra Leone has played a pivotal role over the years, for which they must be commended instead of condemned.

We were amazed to hear the comments from Hon. Lamina regarding the recently conducted bye-elections in Constituency 056, an election in which the C4C political party did not participate. The election was contested by only APC and SLPP. Thus, no official from C4C ought properly to comment on the said election.

As a political party, C4C continues to look up to the European Union mission and other international partners for their supportive role in ensuring not only peaceful, free, fair, and transparent elections but the peace and stability of Sierra Leone.

As the body charged to run the affairs of the C4C political party, we implore the general public to reach out to the 21-Persons Transitional Interim National Officers Elections Committee for any clarifications on issues relating to the affairs of the party.”