3 Cedar Road
Haringey
London
N17 8NB
United Kingdom
Delegation of the European Union to Sierra Leone
Leicester Peak
Regent
Freetown
Sierra Leone
8th June 2022
Dear Hon Sir and Madam,
Fighting For Democracy Over Dictatorship; Are We Living In A Soft Dictatorship?
Exactly four years ago darkness set on Sierra Leone. The process of constitutional erosion and decay has been let loose. The checks and balances have all collapsed overnight as the new government came into power in 2018 and started appointing its ministers and public officials. Furthermore, in my conception, they should be pre-political, in a sense, that they set the rules for the political game, rather than being part of the game in which even the fundamental values themselves get squeezed or stretched, essentially instrumentalized for short term political gains.
A vote for President Julius Maada Bio would ensure a vote for a dictatorship; five more years of lying (365 lies per year), anger, bullying, name calling, cruelty, chaos, instability, why would anyone want five more years of this? Britain, the United States and European countries have a long tradition of standing up to tyrants like President Maada Bio , as a country that believes in freedom, democracy, the rule of law and the right of countries to choose their own future.
A vote for Dr Samura Kamara, if he wins the flagbearership would be a vote for democracy, stability, thoughtfulness, compassion, empathy, dignity, experience, restoration of our economy, a plan to crush corruption, saving healthcare, dealing with tribal injustice, regional reform, ending the separation policy at the country and regional level and reuniting children with their parents, a moral man, will deal with climate change, tells the truth, loves our country, patriotic, support for the military, support for government agencies, support for the police, support for our first responders, a President to all Sierra Leoneans not just his cronies or country men, pays income taxes, restores our standing in the world, listens to the experts before making decisions.
We should be justifiably terrified as our authoritarian President acts more and more like a dictator. President Bio, by the power of appointment control the House of Parliament, has already done much to control all three branches of government in Sierra Leone.
President Bio has been asserting that if he doesn’t win the 2023 election, it was rigged. He has refused to commit to leaving the presidency even if he loses the election and further said he will not hand over power to the All-People’s Congress APC political party. There are attorneys in every swing state ready to challenge the validity of the votes, thus throwing the issue into the courts. Ultimately the Supreme Court will in all probability vote in favor of President Bio. Bio has said openly that he wants the present nominee appointed to the Supreme Court in time to confirm his Presidency.
President Bio has made his intentions clear. As his followers chant “five more years,” President Bio has added “and five more, and after that, we’ll see.” This will not be democracy; it will be dictatorship if he wins the 2023 elections. While he encourages his followers’ chant, “lock citizens up for no good reason,” a dictator will have the power to “lock citizens up, his own citizens of his own nation.”
This election is a choice between Dr Samura Kamara and democracy or President Julius Maada Bio and dictatorship. Dictators are not in the business of allowing elections that could remove them from their thrones. Our duty as Sierra Leoneans with the help of the international community is to call for free, fair and credible elections in 2023 because there is an abuse of power in Sierra Leone in four years plus, and we live in a dictatorship.
Proverbs 29:2: “When the righteous thrive the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.”
Signed by,
Mohamed Salieu Kamara
Human Rights Activist Campaigner
CC;
1. Gregory Meeks, the Head of the US Congressional Delegation
2. The Judiciary of Sierra Leone
3. HE President Julius Maada Bio of the Republic of Sierra Leone
4. British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone Ms Lisa Chesney
5. United States Ambassador to SierraLeone David Reimer
6. Ambassador Horst Gruner Embassy of Germany in Freetown, Sierra Leone
7. The African Union (AU)
8. Members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
9. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)
10. Anti Corruption Commission ACC Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala
11. The Sierra Leone Police IG Ambrose M Sovula aka Fake Degree
12. Former President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Dr Ernest Bai Koroma
13. Rt. Hon. Dr. Abass Bundu Speaker of Parliament Sierra Leone (impose on us)
14. Ambassador of Ireland to the Republic of Sierra Leone Claire Buckley,
15. The Main Opposition Leader Member of Parliament Hon Chernor Maju Bah
16. Chief Electoral Commissioner Mohamed Kenewui Konneh
Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL)
