Former presidential candidate of Sierra Leone’s main opposition All People’s Congress, Dr. Samura Kamara, has in a recent tweet on his twitter feed blasted the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone and referred to the day marking the certification of president Julius Maada Bio by the ECSL “as another sad day for our nation.”
On Wednesday, June 18, 2023, Mohamed Konneh, Chairman and National Returning Officer of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone, certified president Julius Maada Bio following his reelection in the June 24 elections with a Certificate of Return.
The Commissioner, during his presentation, described the multi-tier elections as peaceful and credible, adding that the results were reflective of the voters.
Dr. Samura Kamara believes otherwise.
He says “the presentation of a Certificate of Return by the Chief Electoral Commissioner @MKKonnehECSL further compounds the illegally stage-managed occupation of our State House, following the electoral coup – which to the best of my knowledge – is by far the most unprecedented election fraud ever.”
“Sierra Leone is not the same anymore ever since the coming to governance of the ‘PAOPA’ REGIME in 2018.”
Dr. Samura Kamara states that, “on June 24, 2023, Sierra Leoneans were clearly determined to rid themselves of an autocratic and ethno-centric regime, and demonstrated their WILL for change by the huge turnout at polling centers. But the democratic backsliding since 2018 was climaxed in June 2023 by the most blatant electoral fraud ever in history.”
Kamara asserts that “this cannot be accepted or allowed to continue because if we do, it will kill democracy in Sierra Leone and could threaten its consolidation in a region that is already politically, socially and economically troubled.”
Disclosing he has “exercised considerable restraint since the announcement of the rogue results,” Kamara challenges that “ECOWAS and other international partners have a big role to play to prevent the spread of such undemocratic behavior that ignores the Voice and Will of the majority.”
“If this broken democracy is not fixed and this rogue regime is nurtured, no one, and I mean, no one, including the AU, ECOWAS and other international partners would have the moral ground to globally advocate for democracy, freedoms, peace, Justice and human rights. It is not enough to support elections and stand aside when the results are being manipulated, and then only get involved when situations become untenable.”
Dr. Samura Kamara had contested the June 24, 2023, presidential election against incumbent president Julius Maada Bio of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party and had lost on controversy.
