By Mabinty M. Kamara
Members, supporters and sympathisers of the All Peoples Congress (APC) Party on Sunday 19 September 2021 ended their national delegates conference in Makeni in the north with the adoption of the revised, constitution after an acrimonious intra-party court battle.
They had all converged in Makeni, the home district of former President Ernest Bai Koroma after Justice Adrian Fisher ordered the party to hold an emergency convention to adopt their reviewed constitution after one of their members Peter Conteh based in the USA took the party to court over constitutionality and internal democracy.
In his keynote address during the opening session, Koroma as Chairman and Leader of the party said it was embarrassing for the party to meet under strict regulations posed by the Police and the court, noting that he was on the verge of succeeding to bring out the matter in court when it was taken to court again.
He expressed dissatisfaction over the current state of their party blaming it largely on senior party member’s mainly former flag bearer aspirants, a pressure group within the party referred to as the National Reformation Movement and another group called the Big Six. Warning them against bring what he described as “Munku Politics” to the party.
“I really want to go but the infighting is stopping me. If you don’t want me just inform me. I am tired and it is time for me to retire as a statesman,” he said.
He called on other members to come together and resolve their difference as that is only when they can reach their goal of winning the next election.
However, he expressed delight over the progress of the party with regards the review of its constitution to make it more democratic. He said it was not about him alone but for the benefit of all parties involved.
While admonishing the party stakeholders to control their supporters to be law abiding he said “the problem of the party is not the SLPP but supporters of the party.”
Speaking on behalf of Alfred Peter Conteh, the Plaintiff in the APC matter, Ibrahim Sorie Foday admonished the delegates to ensure during their deliberations that the constitution is in compliance with the 1991 national constitution. He added that a modern constitution that provides for all to participate is what they seek.
Speaking on behalf of other Political Parties, Femi Cladius Cole of Unity Party said she was impressed with the energy and spirit displayed by the APC party despite their internal differences. He admonished the party to be in harmony if they as political parties should succeed in pushing what she described as a mountain before them in reaching the paradise that Sierra Leone is. She added that the country has for far too long been crying and needed to be liberated.
In his statement at the opening of the party convention, the Chairman of the Political Parties Registration Commission, Abdulai Masiambay Bangura admonished the delegates to be critical and constructive in their analysis of the reviewed constitution with the objective of having a better constitution and a peaceful outcome. He also encouraged other members to be patient and law abiding as the deliberation on the constitution at the convention was not the end but that it was going to be shared with the PPRC, gazetted and tabled for input and objections from interested parties.
The convention ended yesterday 19th September with the adoption of the reviewed constitution.
Copyright © Politico Online (20/09/21)
