Sierra Leone Telegraph: 14 November 2017
The executives of the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) were at State House in Freetown yesterday, Monday 13th November 2017, were they met President Ernest Bai Koroma to discuss the work of the association.
Speaking to the SLBA executives, the president urged them to be more proactive, especially in putting forward legal opinions on issues, especially regarding the forthcoming March 2017 elections.
“It is important that we have clarifications of electoral laws and processes of the 2018 elections before elections day,” he said.
President Koroma said that as the elections draw near, it is expected that the SLBA will contribute immensely in educating and informing voters about the electoral laws and processes, as well as general acceptance of the 2018 elections.
He pointed out that the country has come a long way in building its democracy. He added that Sierra Leone does not need a Kenyan or Liberian experience, where elections have reached deadlock and resulting in violence and court battle, as in the case of Kenya.
The president stated that even though it is the responsibility of the Supreme Court to interpret the law, it is also equally important for the SLBA to provide legal interpretation of the law on critical issues relating to the 2018 elections.
President Koroma congratulated the new executive and expressed hope that they will provide the required leadership in moving the SLBA forward. He also assured them of government’s commitment to improving and empowering the judiciary to meet the expectations of the public.
President Koroma commended the efforts of the Bar Association for its current work in producing a simplified version of relevant electoral laws of Sierra Leone. He expressed delight on the timeliness of the bar’s 2017 theme – “Ensuring free, fair and credible elections”.
He also drew the attention of the SLBA executives to the significance of intensifying public education on not only electoral laws, but also on other matters of national importance.
Presenting the new executive, president of the SLBA – Mrs Rhoda Suffian-Kargbo Nuni, reported that the new executive was elected in July 2017 and thanked the government for the tremendous strides made in strengthening the judiciary.
Mrs. Nuni noted the pivotal role of the Bar Association in the political dispensation of the state. She informed the president that the association will be partnering with the United Nations Development Programme – in working with the country’s media, as well as community engagements with key stakeholders of the electoral process.
She added that the SLBA will be creating a handbook of a simplified version of relevant electoral laws, providing pro-bono services and will be organizing its annual dinner to which the Association has invited President Koroma to serve as Distinguished Guest of Honour in December this year.
In less than five months president Earnest Koroma and the APC are now showing their true colors by dragging the National Electoral Commission to court.
This president is now trying to send a subliminal message to the judicial institution that their freedom and independence is unacceptable in our democracy by mentioning Kenya and Liberia where democracy, the respect of the rule of law and separation of power have been displayed for the first time in the history of Africa political elections.
The timing of this event is unacceptable since he just took his handpicked stooge ( Samura Kamara) and co- conspirators that are responsible for the destruction of our economy and reducing our country and people to mere beggars, to the pope and hopefully confessing that they are bunch of thieves and asking for prayers and forgiveness from God.
Instead of threatening the Sierra Leone Bar Association he should have first shown some integrity and credibility by replacing his current attorney general (Joseph Kamara) who was also a presidential aspirant of the APC party to step aside like Alpha Kanu and others, and appoint a non partisan citizen to head that department .
In my opinion the unprecedented action taken by both the judicial institutions in Kenya and Liberia will help strengthen their democracies since there will never be ” peace without equal rights and justice ” and I hope the president will do whatever it takes to conduct a free and fair election so that the nation won’t have to go through that path.
My advice to the President is to just take a deep breath, relax and listen to Emerson’s music ( U Vote na U LIFE) because this is the third time the people are exercising their right to vote. he first two elections under the watch of the international community and the SLPP were successful so the burden of proof now is in your hands to prove that your government will uphold our democracy that brought you to power, which for a starter you have failed within your party and I hope and pray that the people of our country will send a clear message to you on election night that ” you can run but you can’t hide from the truth “.