The only opposition party in Sierra Leone, the Sierra Leone
People’s Party (SLPP), has reversed its decision that had ordered its lawmakers
and local councilors to “stay away” from parliamentary and council proceedings.
The decision to reverse the call for a boycott was announced
Thursday, December 6, following a meeting earlier in the week at State House
between President Koroma and leaders of the SLPP, including Mr. Julius Bio, the
party’s presidential candidate for the November 17, 2012, elections. An
umbrella body of different denominations of the Christian faith, in Sierra
Leone, the Body of Christ, had facilitated the meeting between the two groups
in an effort to bring an end to what was becoming a political stalemate. The
announcement on Thursday came about a week before the official opening of the
new Parliament in the capital, Freetown, following national elections on
November 17.
The party, on Tuesday, November 27, 2012, ordered the boycott,
days after incumbent President, Ernest Koroma of the All People’s Congress (APC)
Party, was declared the winner of the Presidential race. The SLPP had alleged
election malpractices by the APC, despite an existing wide consensus among
international observers that the elections were well conducted. The party had
called on its deputies to stay away as a means of protest and also called for
an external review of the whole electoral process. 42 SLPP MPs were elected in
the poll.
SLPP’s National Secretary General, Suliaman Banja Tejan-Sie, who
announced the party’s decision to rescind the planned boycott, said that in light of what he called
government’s “commitment and assurance to address” their concerns, the party’s
executive “direct its Members of Parliament, Mayors and Chairpersons and
Councilors to take part in all Parliamentary and Local Council proceedings
unless otherwise directed.”
Sources from Freetown suggest that elements within the leadership
of the SLPP prevailed on the party to reconsider its stance and respond to the
mediation efforts undertaken by the Body of Christ. Speculation was rife as to
what was discussed when Mr. Bio and the President met privately, and rumors
fueled both by the public, and the national press still persist.
This writer had argued a week ago, that the call for the boycott
had little chance to hold. More so because the conduct of the election was
deemed to have met internationally acceptable standards and the results
recognized globally. Moreover, SLPP MPs, particularly first-timers, were,
understandably, eager to get to work, as evident on Wednesday, December 5, when
SLPP representatives attended a briefing session at Parliament Building, in
Freetown.
The SLPP’s reversal of its call for a boycott will provide some
welcome relief to the APC. Given the ruling party’s sweep in the Presidential
and Parliamentary contests, it would be hard to ignore the chilling effect such
a boycott would have on governance if not the entire democratic process.
One can speculate for a moment as to what next move by the SLPP
will be. Certainly, the party will soon go back to the drawing board to
evaluate its election’s strategies and its performance in this year’s
elections, followed by what is likely to be early preparations for the next
race in 2017.
It is perhaps too early to speculate meaningfully about the likely
SLPP contestants for the party’s presidential ticket in 2017. Clearly, Mr. Bio cannot be ruled out as a
possibility. The 48-year-old would still be in his prime and would have
presumably built upon the experience gained from the 2012 race.
For the APC, 2017 may prove to be more challenging. The likable
and politically savvy Ernest Koroma will step down after completing his second
term. Besides, the APC will likely find some difficulty selecting from among
its crop of current leaders a natural successor or at least someone whose
record can match the President’s
accomplishments after serving two terms in office.
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