Multi-Party Democracy … which way Kono?
Come 2012 Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Sierra Leone, without any exaggeration, Kono district will be one of the focal points of attention and undoubtedly a major determining factor as to which political party will emerge victorious when the final results are read for all to hear. This assertion is based on the unpleasant reality of the north-south or Mende-Temne dichotomy of the political landscape of our beloved country. (Photo: Samuel Tamba Musa Saquee, author)
Traditionally, the Kono people have always been allies of the Mende, but the post independence political history of Sierra Leone saw the land being dominated by the (APC) for the better part of that period. It will be however misleading to conclude that Kono is the APC territory by virtue of the fact that the party has dominated the political representation for the better part of the post independence era. This is because it is a known fact that, for the better part of the APC rule in the country, Kono like every other district in the country, never witnessed a free and fair election. So it is the case that the APC. domination of the district was conceived in nothing but political mischief and violence. This situation is made even clearer by the fact that since the re-introduction of multi-party politics in the country, after the war, the (SLPP) has won every election in Kono, but the first that was based on proportional representation, which was carried by the now defunct Democratic Centre Party (DCP) of the late Aiah Abu Koroma. As a substantial proof of this assertion that the district is an opposition stronghold, at this point in time, seven (7) out of the eight (8) parliamentary seats in the house of parliament from the district are occupied by the SLPP.
In the light of the present political divide in Sierra Leone, it is very relevant to ascertain which way Kono will vote in the forthcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections in 2012, against the background that it is a traditional SLPP stronghold that has a sitting Vice President of the ruling APC. If the Konos are to follow in the footstep of other voters in the country, who vote purely on the basis of ethnic or regional affiliations, it is very likely that they will vote for the APC party for the simple fact that the incumbent Vice President, Alhaji Samuel Sidiki Sam-Sumana is an ethnic Kono.
But the million dollar question is whether the Vice President commands the trust and confidence of his people as there is hardly anything the land and the people can show for his position as the second most powerful man in the incumbent government. Most people believe that the APC stands to lose any little support it has in the district as a punishment for the Vice President’s betrayal of the district. Unfortunately for the APC, its supposed head of the crusade to capture the district has only succeeded in alienating people ,i.e., all the major stake holders like youths and young women, traditional rulers and most importantly the intellectuals. Although his boss, the President is very much working hand in glove with the Paramount Chiefs, the Vice President’s inconsistency in his attitude towards them seem to be putting that relationship on slippery grounds. So if the President is serious about taking the district from the SLPP in 2012, it is high time he takes personal responsibility or looks for some reputable and trustworthy party faithful in the district to champion this crusade.
Taking a look at the post independence political history of Kono in the light of party politics, both the SLPP and APC have manifested different levels of considerations for the participation of politicians from the district at various levels of government, administration and diplomatic representation. To the credit of the APC it has given more opportunities to Kono indigenes in the political, administrative and diplomatic offices than the SLPP. If political appointments are a yard stick to be used to measure the degree of seriousness with which these two parties treat the district, it is without say that the APC treats the people of Kono with more seriousness than the SLPP does.
During the Siaka Stevens era, a period spanning from 1968 to 1985, Kono always enjoyed the privilege of having as many as three full cabinet ministers and three deputy ministers in every government he constituted. There was a time that all but one of the parliamentarians from the district was either a full cabinet or deputy cabinet minister. Besides, the district also had the opportunity to have more than five ambassadors and head of diplomatic missions at a time.
The trend took a negative turn when Joseph Saidu Momoh came to power after Siaka Stevens retired. It was then that the marginalization of Kono in the body politic of Sierra Leone under the APC party came into play.
It is rather ironic that in spite of being given favorable considerations during the Siaka Stevens era, Kono as a district had little or nothing to show for it by way of development. This could be blamed on the fact that those politicians, civil servants and diplomats entrusted with the responsibility of representing the people spent all their time fighting among themselves and subsequently abandoning their responsibility to their people. In the end it became one sad story of missed opportunities. Sadly indeed, history seems to be repeating itself in Kono. Notwithstanding the fact that an ethnic Kono has been given the opportunity of serving as vice president, again by the All Peoples Congress, the substantive holder of the position, the Honorable Sahr Samuel Sam-Sumana seem to be diverting all his energy towards the personal antagonizing of his party members and all major stake holders in the district, for the purpose of settling personal scores, albeit to the detriment of the district and the people.
On coming to power in 1995, under the leadership of President Tijan Kabba, the SLPP totally marginalized Kono in every aspect of the word. Be it in cabinet appointments, the civil service or the diplomatic service. As a matter of fact, there was not a point in time during his administration that Kono enjoyed the privilege of having more than one full cabinet minister. He even consciously ridiculed the most charismatic politician that has ever come from the district, the late Pa Aiah Abu Koroma, by appointing him to a white elephant ministry in spite of the fact that the latter’s party, the DCP formed a coalition with the SLPP for the Presidential run-off in the election that ushered him, Tijan Kabba, to power for the first time in 1995. If there is any leader in the political history of Sierra Leone that treated Kono with the greatest contempt, it is no other but Tijan Kabba. From cabinet appointment to diplomatic missions, to post war reconstruction, Kono always received a raw deal under his regime. So for the Kono people to have overwhelmingly voted the SLPP in 2007, was conceived in the sad reality that in a political system like ours, that is based on ethnicity and regionalism, minorities are always bound to join the band wagon or risk being left out in the cold.
The million dollar question to be answered at this juncture is which way should Kono vote come 2012. Without prejudice to all other political parties in the country, It seems that the battle for Kono is undoubtedly going to be a two horse race, the protagonists being The SLPP and the ruling APC. As a son of the soil, my humble suggestion is that the people should put aside all primitive loyalties and vote the party that is likely to bring the greatest good to the land. In making this decision, preference should be given to the nature, character and proven track records of the personalities that personify these parties and the legacies of the parties as they affect the lives of the inhabitants of the district. The people should not allow themselves to be caught in the middle of the ethnic and regional dichotomy that now seems to characterize the politics of the day. As far as I am concerned, we are all Sierra Leoneans and the Kono man is in no way more related to any ethnic group than the other. What should count is the economic, social, developmental, political, to name but a few, policies as they affect the district in particular. So if the ruling APC is serious about capturing the district from the opposition SLPP, it should take into serious consideration the peoples approval of candidates to represent them both in Parliament and in the cabinet, with particular reference to the position of running mate to the president, because the incumbent Vice President has a very big question mark against him.
Furthermore, by virtue of being the incumbent party, the people should judge the APC on the basis of the developmental ventures they would have implemented in the district on the eve of the elections. No more promises. It is time for positive action.
In the case of the SLPP, in order to maintain the hold to the Parliamentary seats it now dominates and secure the votes to capture the presidency, it has to make sure it offers the people of Kono something equal to or more than what the APC. presently offers to the district in terms of political appointment. It will make sense for it to consider offering the district very senior positions in the party because it should not expect the people to turn their backs on a party that takes them more seriously and manifests it by offering them very senior positions.
So my last word to the people of Kono is that, reason and not sentiments, should guide our political thinking and voting pattern come 2012.
By Samuel Tamba Musa Saquee, USA
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