By Umaru Fofana
I have been chewing my pen butt in the last few days since the State House meeting last week between President Ernest Bai Koroma and the leaders of the country's ten registered political parties. Forget, for a minute, about what many see as an attempt by President Ernest Bai Koroma to compromise these political leaders when he reportedly gave them US$ 20,000. Concentrate on the timing and the composition of these so-called political parties and what they stand for, if anything.
My initial reaction to the meeting? How can some of those attendees, under the guise of being leaders of political parties that exist in name only and are so easily pliable, be accorded the respect, recognition and dignity of consulting on and charting the way forward for Sierra Leone. This, at a time when journalists, many of whom truly reflect the people's views and stand up for them than any of those politicians does, are being locked up at the behest of some government ministers by a largely politicised police force and a judiciary that sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. President Koroma and the State House staffers all know this attempt is a farce.
A lot of these parties have no reason to exist as such. They lack any ideology or even ideas, never mind a following. They hardly have any legitimacy whatsoever. Who do some of them represent anyway. Yet they are given such false sense of self-importance if only for the State House number game. Come elections, there is a genuine reason to boycott a badly-flawed electoral process, these so-called parties associate with the incumbent to give the impression of cooperation by some "opposition parties" of some sort. But that is for another day.
Last week's State House meeting was very interesting. Yes because it is a good idea for our main political leaders to be meeting and it changes the perception stoked up by these very politicians that they hate each other and we the people must also hate each other. After all, that was one of the things the Leadership Debate which the APC faulted and eventually undermined in 2012 aimed to achieve.
The meeting was also interesting because the winner-takes-all system in Sierra Leone has meant that the ruling party - whichever it is - is the Alpha and the Omaga after elections before whom all must kowtow, made worse by some opposition members who can sell out at the sight of a few thousand dollars. But was it not an idea like this that was propounded by the United Nations and the country's two main political parties - APC and SLPP - when in April 2009 they signed a communiqué? It came in the back of a chain of heightened political unrests in especially Pujehun and Kenema districts, as well as in Freetown which led to attacks against the offices of the opposition. Here is a part of that communiqué:
"Both parties [APC and SLPP] recognise the need for multiparty talks in order to build up consensus on critical issues of national interest and reduce tensions. They agree to regular multi party talks to be held not only in Freetown but also in the regional centres in Makeni, Bo and Kenema". Yes, this was in April 2009. And this meeting is happening in January 2014. Who needs telling that this is trickery!
It is shocking and surprising that since that communiqué was signed President Koroma has hardly felt the need to call the opposition to dialogue on ways to make the country better-governed and with less tension and less use of the power of incumbency and access to state authority to clamp down on those deemed critical of the established perceived as being opposition elements or "stubborn" journalists. Yes it is not too late to do it now, but why is it being done only now and for how long will it be sustained?
The reason for this meeting is temporary hence the meeting ad hoc. Abacha Street traders should be removed from the streets so the central business district of Freetown can have a breath of fresh air. You can understand why Koroma would need the opposition in this. When he was in their position, I remember vividly as if it were yesterday, he virtually incited those same traders not to leave the streets when the Tejan Kabbah administration wanted to rid the streets of traders.
The 2009 communiqué also says thus: “Our success in achieving religious tolerance must be extended to political tolerance and be sincere to Sierra Leone”. Even a child born yesterday knows that the level of political intolerance and hatred for critical views is unprecedented in the history of democratic Sierra Leone. So why is the president not also looking into this?
It was promised in that communiqué that "...those who will be proven to have committed acts of violence will be brought to justice irrespective of their real or alleged political affiliation". Does everyone not know that the Sheares Moses commission of enquiry report was trashed by the president including those a Government White Paper agreed would be respected. A government minister so unequivocally indicted and recommended for no-appointment has been promoted almost at every reshuffle. So what is anyone talking about President meeting with political leaders to chart a way forward for the country?
Now a press release from State House following the meetings in part reads: "The appeal was made by President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma at a consultative working lunch held at State House, with leaders of the ten political parties, at which a process for resolving national issues, through political inclusiveness and engagement was established." This is coming five years late. And it gives us a clear idea on when good things are necessary in the eyes of the presidency.
The release continues: "President Koroma stressed the need for politicians to move freely across the political divide and political parties to cooperate in addressing critical issues, including lawlessness, corruption and the rule of law, to build a solid foundation for sustainable and inclusive development in the country." This is laughable. I know how to achieve this. It is those in power and the senior ruling party officials that have always been corrupt and successfully interfered with due process. So the president does not need the opposition in achieving this, assuming that was the real intent of the State House Lunch. Another way to achieve national cohesion and maintenance of law and order would be by reverting to the same 2009 communiqué President Koroma and the UN ERSG at the time Michael Schulenburg goaded. and here are parts of the opening lines of that document:
"...we stand together in upholding the Rule of Law and upholding the core principle of democracy, of free debates over alternative policies and views, in an atmosphere of mutual respect. We pledge to work jointly to stop all forms of political incitement, provocation and intimidation that could lead to a recurrence of the disturbances witnessed in March 2009...We commit ourselves to building a peaceful, democratic and prosperous Sierra Leone for the benefit of all of our people." So let us hear something else - new or old. Not this.
In my Tuesday article I assured you that 2014 would be no different to last year in terms of political drama and a display of the failure of the people by the political class. That meeting called by President Koroma is testament to my deep sense and feeling of scepticism and even cynicism. It can only get worse.
(C) Politico 16/01/14
