Musa Tamba Sam, opposition spokesman
By Joseph Lamin Kamara
The main opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party has apologised to Sierra Leoneans for not "properly performing our duties to the country as the main opposition party".
Party spokesman, Musa Tamba Sam told Politico in an exclusive at his party headquarters in Freetown thus: "I accept that we have not delivered to our expectation...The public wants 100%, but we are using 60% on our internal squabbles."
He said the current wrangling within his party "has placed the party at the centre of disrepute."
Sam accused the governing All People's Congress party of "clandestinely" interfering in the internal affairs of the SLPP "each time we hold elections for leadership positions." He said the ruling party backs candidates within the SLPP who share their own party’s vision, an allegation a ruling party spokesman denied saying the opposition should learn to "wash their dirty linen in-house".
He also blamed former SLPP leadership candidates like J. B. Dauda and Osman Boie - both now government ministers - for the disunity within the party and accused them of disloyalty and betrayal.
The former MP said "the whole problem of SLPP is about who to become the flag-bearer" adding that it all began in 2005 when J. B. Dauda and Charles Margai left the party after losing out in a leadership contest at a national delegates' convention. He said party supporters who are opposed to the leadership of the former flag-bearer Julius Maada Bio now wanted to get rid of him "because of his popularity." But, he said "Bio’s supporters want him to continue because they believe he was cheated in the 2012 elections and is still the most popular candidate".
The SLPP Publicity Secretary pleaded with Sierra Leoneans "to understand that problems exist in all establishments" and the SLPP is currently slowing down democracy in the country" due to the bickering. But he said they would use the current situation "as a catalyst for growth."
(C) Politico 22/07/14
