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At long last, the mediated dialogue between the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) to break the political stalemate in the country begins today in Freetown, with the Commonwealth, the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) overseeing as negotiators.
The outcome of the dialogue will determine whether elected APC MPs, Mayors and councillors who had boycotted their seats in protest over the rigging of the 2023 elections — as confirmed by the U.S, Britain, France, Netherlands and international elections observers including the Carter Centre, the European Union ( EU ) Observer Mission and the National Elections Watch ( NEW ) of Sierra Leone — will return and the opposition will work with the ruling SLPP to govern Sierra Leone.
The United States, angry with the scale and impunity of the rigging of the elections by the SLPP, has suspended the Millennium Challenge Corporation ( MCC) U.S $400 million grant won by the government and imposed travel ban on all those who undermined the elections in Sierra Leone.
The U.S has appealed to the APC MPs, mayors and councillors to return to parliament and the councils, while giving the SLPP the conditions to dialogue with the opposition and to make meaningful reforms that will forestall the occurrence of elections rigging in Sierra Leone.
The U.S demand is however a difficult proposition for the APC because the grassroots of the party have rejected any suggestion of MPs , Mayors and councillors taking their seats and are demanding a re-run of the 2023 elections in the interests of strengthening and deepening democracy in Sierra Leone.
Cokorioco newspaper has been sounding the opinions of grassroots members of the APC and stakeholders and supporters of the party; and from all their responses, the APC rank-and- file have resolved not to go back to Parliament or the councils and only want a re-run of the elections.
Social media is also seething with audios and videos produced by partisans of the APC demanding a re-run of the elections. Some of the audios and videos are replete with very harsh language and even profanities and threatening remarks about dire consequences for the leadership of the APC if it accepts any resolution of this governance stalemate other than a re-run of the elections.
Last week, the EU released its final report on the elections, and it was damning and damaging to the SLPP, providing statistical data and facts to conclude that no presidential candidate reached the threshold of 55% to avoid a runoff.
In essence, the EU demonstrated that nobody won the elections and insinuating that it was fraudulent of the Elections Commission of Sierra Leone ( ECSL ) to declare the SLPP‘s presidential candidate – Maada Bio, as the winner of the elections.
I spoke to some SLPP supporters and they rejected the notion of a re-run of the elections. They asserted that only the Supreme Court has the power to annul an election and order a re-run. They said that the APC bungled the opportunity to have the Supreme Court make any decision because the APC failed to file a lawsuit at the court challenging the results of the elections. Also, as far as they are concerned, the SLPP won the elections.
The results of the 2023 elections announced by the chairman of the Sierra Leone Elections Commission, Mr. Mohamed Konneh, exacerbated the political crisis in the country and produced a governance impasse with the APC boycott that prompted the intervention of the Commonwealth, the AU and ECOWAS.
It remains to be seen what this mediated dialogue will achieve, with relations between the SLPP and APC seriously polarized and supporters of both parties apparently holding firm to their respective positions.
Kabs kanu is a bastard misguided idiot.
Kabs kanu is a political ferocious dog.
All I see here is Power Thirst 😂
We need run of because slpp don’t won the election
Yes I also support a re- run becouse this will force people to do their job indipentlly and the notion will be in peace. But if we say let move on without action been taken, tomorrow another person will do the same and that will take this country in towar one day. If a person out eight millon people select a government and some people are saying let move on, . Putting a stop to this now will make politicians to respect and work for the people. I think all those who want this nation to be in peace should stand with a.p.c to put a stop to those things that led us to war in 1991. If we failed to stand now believe you me our nation will be in problem.
The game is over no re_run
You guys are not ok
APC go rest for 2035 elections
Big same to slpp supporters
The only thing that can solve Sierra Leone problem is to do re run of the election or else war is at the corner
All those APC Agba Agba who said S L P P did not won the election because of samura lost woefully,where were you idiots 2012 when Christiana Thorpe voided 477 polling stations and later said “anyone who doesn’t satisfied with the RESULT let him go to court or go police.what was your reaction at that time, can you please recall. Booo una lef we yaaa le President Bio do in wok 🤩🤩🤩 we ready for una den alaki tolongbo Dem
We nor just want grumble wae nor election nor get for take place
The election is over now until 2028,commissioner had announces the result President Bio won election please let’s put salone fos🙏🙏🙏🙏
the way to solve this promble is it to going to re run of the election to avoid war please the I nternational body do this for us thanks
Let them do re run election
Their will be no war in this country, all those people who mean bad for our beloved country bad will fall on them in Jesus name ,we need peace and prosperity in our country not all this your power struggle.
International observers, shame on you all who don’t speaks the truth. And those illiterate educated sierra leoneans who don’t know how to add and minus, shame on you. Give peace a chance in sierra leone. Now, slpp 56.17%–41.16%= 15.01%. So where on earth in politics someone get 15.01% overall and they will do re-run of election? You, some of sierra leoneans listening to those international thievies, taking all our diamonds and minerals, you agree with them, you are a slave to to them. Now the one who say NO to them, you peple don’t like him. (Maada Bio). Call spade, a spade. Why can’t you settle your own political problems instead you believes in your slaves masters still to settle your problems between brothers and sisters. If you people continue with this into 2024, God almighty, I
pray that He will punish all of you in Jesus mighty name, amen. I am fed up of anyone of you cantankerous who don’t want peace to reign in sierra leone. So shall it be. Amen.
I don’t even know ⁶why the president allowed this rubbish to take place. When the election was stolen from? what did they tell you, go to court. That was exactly you should have to ld /hem long ago, and stick to it.
The Apc party, or whatever they may called themselves Tolongbo. Some of them are foreigners, so my brothers and sisters,
don’t allow full to miscontrol your own satisfaction.
If APC refuses to dialogue, we are ready for whatever they have in mind. They are threatening about war we the SLPP are more than ready to go to war. You guys are lucky president Bio love this nation if it were not for that the war that Samura Kamara, Adebayor, the one that killed our brother in makeni (Boyka) and called himself Mr. Northerner trust me by now it would have been a different thing. But we are patiently waiting, all the rebels you guys have trained over the years to bring war in this nation, we know about them and some of them have been arrested. The rebel arrested in Bo with the dreadlux as well as the others have exposed every secret and evil plans you have for this nation. So if you think we are asleep, then you wait and see. Your namesis will soon be here we will wipe out the entire generation of the APC. Today is the 17th October, 2023. All Apicians reading this article, take note.
The apciar know that they will never win election in this country genuinely
How can the APC go to court with out the result pubished… let ECSL publish the real result if the election was free and fair. We are waiting for the out come of the dialogue. All I know it going be a re run election, if you idiot slpp supporters mistake this time, you foxs will get the hell of your life. We are moreden ready for you stupid tribalism idiot animals.