By Abubakarr Bah
Eight registered political parties in Sierra Leone have expressed concerns over an injunction they say could likely prevent the beleaguered National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from taking part in the forthcoming presidential elections slated for 17 November.
In a press statement dated 15 October, 2012, the coalition accused the presiding judge, Justice Abdulai Cham of being a member of the ruling All Peoples Congress. It claimed that the judge, who was still a member of the APC, contested the parliamentary elections in 2002.
Leader of People's Liberation Party, Dr. Kandeh Baba Conteh, and who doubles as chairman of the Concerned Political Parties, told Politico that the coalition would resist any attempt to stifle the democratic principles which the country had fought for.
He said NDA had operated as a strong political party since 1996 and was one of the few surviving parties that contested for all positions including the presidency, noting that “it will be very unfair for somebody to enter into a political party in two months and file a court injunction that will disenfranchise citizens of the country”.
He said NDA had been very objective in its arguments and critical with the APC government, noting that “it will be unfair for a member of that party to preside over a case like this.”
The national publicity secretary of the SLPP, Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie, said at the coalition conference that the eight political parties had written a letter to the Chief Justice requesting for the removal of the presiding judge because of his political affiliations.
As to what further actions would be taken by the coalition parties if their concerns were not addressed, the leader of the PMDC, Charges Francis Margai said, “We don’t want to make preemptive responses for now but I believe that the NDA will contest the presidential elections in November.”
The coalition was formed following the much-criticised hike in nomination fees announced by NEC for the Presidential, parliamentary and local council elections. It includes the Sierra Leone People Party, Peoples Movement for Democratic Change, United National People’s Party, Peoples Liberation, Peoples Democratic, Revolutionary United Front and Citizens Democratic Party and NDA.
