APC for Alternative Government
Tripartite Committee
Returning APC Members
Hate Speech
The Judiciary
Speaking at the inaugural press conference of the APC Parliamentary Group, the Deputy Chairman of the All People’s Congress (APC), Dr. Foday Yansanneh said, as an alternative government in the country, the APC is prepared to be responsible in their reaction to national issues.
In his speech to the gathering of diplomats, members of the media and party supporters, Yansaneh touched on a lot of issues that have been making news as they relate to the party’s relationship with the ruling SLPP.
Addressing the concerns of the people of Sierra Leone, especially those of members of the APC with regard to what will happen in the country after the 19th of June 2024 when the Tripartite Committee delivers their report and recommendations on the “discredited” 24 June 2023 presidential election result, the APC Deputy Chairman started by stating the importance of the Tripartite Committee.
Despite some people downplaying the role of the Committee, Dr. Yansanneh said it plays a very critical role in taking corrective measures in addressing issues of national importance.
Making a salient example, Dr. Yansanneh said, “We have been told by our opponents that they will never hand over power to us. This is undemocratic. If someone says that in the APC, we will immediately correct that person. But that is not their thinking. So, even if we were to win an election, you will definitely refuse. This calls for chaos.”
Addressing the now viral “bullet for bullet” recent utterance by President Julius Maada Bio, Dr. Yansaneh referred the public to the APC press release on the matter, adding: “Our reaction is an alternative to what he had said. The country is going through the throes of a savage economic situation created by them. Instead of taking corrective measures you are challenging people to come with bullet and you will answer with bullet. It is a most unfortunate statement.”
Dr. Yansaneh said they will disregard such a statement, assuring the people that the Tripartite Committee is a collective agreement to salvage the country from chaos. He added that we should not downplay or underrate such a very important agreement entered into between the APC, the SLPP led government and our international partners intended to bring peace to the country.
Going back into a bit of Sierra Leonean history, the Deputy Chairman said after winning the 1967 elections, which election was the first in sub-Saharan Africa, the military intervened and overthrew the APC. Thirteen months later, another military coup restored the APC back to power.
“The Foster Commission of Inquiry said the APC won that election. This committee (Tripartite Committee) might say APC has won. And what if they say so, what will they (the SLPP-led government) do? You have to understand the position we are in. People are worried and scared that after the 19th of June, 2024 there is going to be chaos. We can assure our people that there will be no chaos. It takes two to tango; we are not going to follow them,” Dr. Yansaneh assured Sierra Leoneans.
The Deputy APC Chairman said the SLPP has never won a majority in any election in the country, which is the reason why they introduced the PR system of government.
‘In 2018 we had 68 seats in Parliament and they had 49. Because they didn’t want the APC to vote in the Speaker’s election, they brutally kicked our members out of the House and voted and had Bundu installed as Speaker. The PR system was a calculation…the system is good in the hands of people that are democratic,” he noted.
Yansaneh said all undemocratic practices in the country were started by the SLPP, noting, “In 1971 they wanted a one party system of government. We went to election but the people didn’t trust them; they trusted the APC.”
Dr. Yansaneh said after becoming a Republic in 1971, the APC, based on the mood at the time across Africa introduced the one party system under a civilian dictator instead of a military regime that was common then. But since the mood changed about democracy across the continent in the 90s, “we ensure that we follow due process in whatever we do”.
He stated that because the Sixth Parliament followed due process the Speaker and his deputy were voted for, a process that members of the APC in Parliament confessed to being a truly democratic process in the house of laws.
Commenting on the Tripartite Committee Dr. Yansaneh said the SLPP would not follow due process when reading the preamble to the APC position on the work of the Committee it is clearly stated that the party does not trust Mohamed Konneh together with his other Commissioners at the ECSL should be in power while the Committee’s investigations were ongoing. But the SLPP called up people like Nfa Alie and others from the elections management bodies to testify.
“They insisted he should be there. Konneh had no business to be there. Then they said we should go as far back as 2007, 2012 and 2018. These three elections were concluded at the Supreme Court. As far as we are concerned they are done deals…We have a problem with almost all of the EMBs from the ECSL, PPRC, NCRA, SSL, the Police, ONS, and Army. These are institutions that had been compromised, bought over by the government,” he stated.
Dr. Yansaneh said for those concerned with how the Tripartite Committee’s report will be delivered the process will be transparent. As Nfa Alie had stated there is no secret in an election, the only thing secret is the ballot box. But people had been trying to stifle the work of the committee by refusing certain documents saying they are classified.
“At the end of the day people will be appreciative of the deliberations in the Tripartite Committee. Let us not get panicky.
Commenting on the return of those who left the APC, Yansaneh said he is with the party’s National Secretary General that the door is open. To everybody that had left the party either voluntarily or was expelled, he said they “are welcome to come back.”
On hate speech, the Deputy APC Chairman said it is one of the provisions of the 8 Point Resolution where both the SLPP and APC were supposed to come up definite statements condemning hate speech. However, after sending the document to the SLPP they are still to address the issue.
The APC also wanted the issue of indiscriminate detention addressed where a member of the APC would be invited to the CID and held for several days and released without charge, saying that the intimidation is meant to keep one from saying what they truly feel.
“We are not prepared to set this country ablaze. The APC is committed to due process,” he implored. The APC deputy chair called on the ruling party government to be committed to the sacred constitution, saying that only those that want to manipulate their way to power would disregard the constitution.
Addressing the judiciary Dr. Yansaneh said Sierra Leone cannot be like Senegal where that country has a judiciary that is prepared to speak the truth.
“When you don’t have that, you’ll go out there and get killed; then what happens? Our institutions are under the thumb of Maada Bio. The difference between us and Senegal and what is happening in places like Tanzania and Malawi is the result of strong institutions, not individuals. Like Obama said: strong institutions, not strong men. We must put an end to strong men. We want people controlled by the rule of law, that will save the country from chaos, who won’t plunge us into war,” he concluded.
