The SLPP has only lost a battle
When France surrendered ignominiously to the Germans early in the Second World War and most of Europe was being overrun by Hitler’s forces, Britain was practically left alone to deal with the mighty and well armed German armies. The United States of America had not yet entered the war. The free French had then rallied to the call of General de Gaulle who had formed a government in exile in London. De Gaulle was not an easy leader to deal with, even his allies sometimes found him very trying. Winston Churchill was to state that of all the crosses he had to carry, the Cross of Loraine was the heaviest. The same Charles de Gaulle as President of France was to block Britain’s entry to the then Treaty of Rome, the forerunner of today’s European Union. He apparently had also forgotten the British lives lost in the retreat from Dunkirk or the losses the Normandy landings during the final allied invasion of Europe which was the beginning of the liberation of Europe under German occupation and the final defeat of the Nazis regime. In his rallying call from London, General Charles de Gaulle had said, “FRANCE HAS LOST A BATTLE, BUT FRANCE HAS NOT LOST THE WAR.” That was in 1940 but I could still recall the English translation of his message which was on posters all over our school in Bo. (Photo: Dr. Sama Banya)
One of the aspirants for the SLPP flag bearer position has taken the party to the Supreme Court and been granted an interim injunction preventing the party from holding any election of a flag bearer or a convention for the purpose. As at the time of writing this column we had not received the Orders from the Court which I am told would spell out the terms of the injunction. As of now I like quite a few others, am worried over the decision of our legal team to withdraw from further proceedings in the matter because of their dissatisfaction over the way the learned Judges had dealt with their preliminary objections.
I am not a legal expert but as a layman I would plead with the national leadership of the SLPP to instruct the lawyers to reconsider their position. Krio man say, “U kin vex kel waitin nar u yone, but u nor for vex lefan behen.” That is when angry you can take along with you what is yours, but u must not leave it behind. Concern has been expressed within the leadership and repeated by the Awareness Times newspaper that a clause 7 of Jabbie’s motion would be too dangerous to leave undefended. J O B along with J J and the lawyers are asked to revisit this area in the interest of the party’s future.
In the meantime I take solace in the fact that as far as the learned court is concerned the main case has yet to be argued. The preliminary victory to Jabbie may well be short lived, depending on our presentation before their lordships. To the rest of our membership I say with confidence that the party has only lost a battle but certainly not the war. Of all the publications it is only the for-di-people newspaper which continues to scream that the SLPP is falling apart. How I wish the editor of the newspaper or Elias Bangura its columnist was at our party headquarters yesterday to measure the mood of the ordinary membership. Jabbie’s action has only united us and made us more determined to take the ultimate prize come 2012.
Evidence of our increasing popularity among the populace is evident in the high street. The people have become disillusioned with the capability of the APC to transform their lives for the better. The economic sting is being felt everywhere, which is one reason that even praise singers like One drop Sankoh, Sheik Sesey, IBM Kamara could now refer to his Excellency’s frustration and anger with some of his people in whom he had reposed so much confidence.
The economy is biting everyone and not just members of the opposition SLPP. We shall keep the flag flying intrigues or no intrigues.
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