By Abubakarr Bah
Leader of the African Socialists Movement in Sierra Leone, Chernoh Alpha Bah, who was spokesman for the allied National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has announced an end to the alliance between the two parties. The former presidential running mate of NDA, Mohamed Sidique Kabba also announced that he was leaving the party.
“Our decision to break the coalition was as a result of the insincerity on the part of the party's (NDA) leadership with whom the socialist movement had had an understanding” Bah told journalists on Monday.
He recalled that when the NDA/African Socialists coalition was formed in March 2009, it was meant to end the monopoly of the All People’s Congress and the Sierra Leone People’s Party that had ruled and continued to rule Sierra Leone since independence.
He claimed that “an agreement of no compromise, no surrender was signed” by the leaderships of both the NDA the Socialists Movement.
Bah said that under the principle of “no compromise, no surrender” the coalition should be determined to take over the democratic governance of the state.
“We must not support the APC and SLPP or any political party on the basis of individual interest but for the interest of Sierra Leone,” he said, adding that it was sad for them as socialists to have learned that “the NDA leadership is only concerned about getting petty things like money and other personal benefits, instead of getting power.”
He noted that on the eve of elections the flag bearer of the NDA, Alhaji Wurie Musidal Jalloh and other senior executive members endorsed the APC and President Ernest Bai Koroma in a meeting organized by “some wealthy and influential members of the Fullah community at the Presidential lodge in Makeni”.
Bah insisted that when he got the news at 2:00 am, he left Makeni for Freetown and made it very clear at the SLBC Good Morning Salone programme that the decision move by Musidal and other NDA executive members did not represent the voice of the party's membership.
The former NDA spokesman alleged that before he could return to Makeni, the APC had held “a propaganda talk show” on a local radio station there, calling on his supporters to vote for the APC parliamentary candidate in constituency 28 “because he has stepped down.” Bah was that candidate.
He said that the NDA's “lack of sincerity and APC’s electoral malpractices like ballot stuffing and over voting” cost him the parliamentary election.
He went further to say that what was more “dangerous” about the embattled NDA leader's endorsement of President Koroma was that it was in breach of the High Court injunction which he said was also another crime because a Freetown High Court had slammed an injunction on Musidal Jalloh as leader and flag bearer of the NDA. “So seeing the APC again rejoicing about Musidal impersonating as leader of the party to endorse President Koroma in Makeni was not only ridiculous” but also an offence that “nobody is talking about.”
He said that the leadership of his African Socialist movement would soon go on tour across the country to discuss the way forward with their members.
Commenting on the outcome of the 2012 elections, Chernoh Bah said “the 2012 Presidential elections results do not represent the will of the people of Sierra Leone.”
He said that apart from the alleged fraud that occurred on 17 November “the rigging of the elections” started from the hike in the nomination fees, to the APC government’s refusal to accept the recommendations of the Shears Moses Commission of inquiry, and the politicisation of democratic institutions.
He called on government to reform all institutions, dismiss all senior commissioners of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) and the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC).
He said government should also reform the Judiciary as well as limit the constitutional term of the Inspector General of Police to just one five-year term, which he said would ensure the IG's independence in the police force.
During the Press Conference, the former running mate of the NDA, Mohamed Sidique Kabba said he left because “the embattled NDA flag bearer and some senior executive members of the party betrayed him.”
Indications were that some senior members of the party are also preparing to resign from the party.
(C) Politico 10/01/13
