Violence in Sierra Leone Elections: a Response to “charles Margai’s Take on Democracy in Sierra Leone-continuity or Change” Last Minute
viva | Election Last Minute4 Oct 2010
Violence in Sierra Leone Elections: a Response to “charles Margai’s Take on Democracy in Sierra Leone-continuity or Change”
In addressing the substance of Mr. Margai’s proposals and suggestions in the current Standard Times Newspaper, it is instructive to highlight what concerns and issues have necessitated, even by his own standards, such a self-acknowledged undemocratic prescription. The legitimate grave concerns of violence, indiscipline and corruption especially during elections however can't be the basis for the sort of immoderate undemocratic change being espoused and advocated by Mr. Margai in his article.
The central tenet of Mr. Margai’s proposals, “that future celebration representation in parliament be based on the three parties, the APC, SLPP and PMDC selecting their representatives to meet the quota allotted them…., the celebrations concerned would come up with their representatives using internal celebration procedures to choose these representatives”, not only fails to address the issue of violence endemic in our elections, but only serves to highlight Mr. Margai’s propensity for undemocratic institutions and processes.
Mr. Margai argues that “it is my view that the above if adopted will eradicate if not minimize:
a) violence and indiscipline at elections
b) corruption at elections
c) that tense region which normally eclipse elections will no longer be present
d) ethnicity will no longer feature at elections.”
While many Sierra Leoneans and I naturally disagree on policy grounds and principles with Mr. Margai’s proposals as relates to establishment of a “quota system” for representation in parliament; the role of celebrations in the selection of such members of parliament and the election of the President by the selected members of parliament, I however welcome the debate his article has and is sure to engender.
In addressing Sierra Leone’s democratic dispensation, Mr. Charles F. Margai, the leader of the Peoples Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC), provides not only an insight into his political thinking of how our “democracy” should evolve and progress but must be commended as a harbinger, if nothing else, for his policy and political thought articulation, which all political leaders must be encouraged to emulate by putting forth creative ideas and initiatives on policy issues confronting our motherland.
It is however my considered proposal that several substitute measures designed to change the entrenched practices of political celebrations campaigning methods and tactics need to be addressed by the National Elections Commission (NEC), the Political Celebrations Registration Commission (PPRC) and the Parliament. With a slate of PMDC Members of Parliament and in a coalition with the APC, Mr. Margai would be superior healthy to address the central thesis of his article, the eradication of violence in elections, through the legislative and regulatory processes that the NEC and the PPRC can be prefabricated to bear on such an issue rather that dragging the country through a referendum.
Specifically, the practice of very massive crowds of celebration supporters parading down streets of major cities and towns, diversion and provoking opponents with incendiary songs must be illegal and relegated to the dustbin of our political history. Throughout our electoral history, this practice has only served as the fuse that has lead to violence during elections. There is actually no electoral redeemable value to such public processions and quite frankly very few if any people are swayed by which celebration or candidate to vote for by such displays.
The tense region permeating elections that Mr. Margai decries and seeks to eradicate can easily be minimized simply by outlawing the practice of political celebration rallies on public streets. Political rallies of course can be held in enclosed areas such as stadiums, court barrays and halls and members prefabricated to peaceably disperse after such gatherings.
My observations and experiences during the last 2007 elections, where mobs of youths in the employ of political celebrations consistently used the occasion of political rallies to destroy property and met out violence against their opponents, while under the spell of drugs and alcohol, have only served to reinforce the need to ban public political processions. Massive scale political intimidations and violence perpetuated against opponents during the electioneering period were all too common spanning the entire length and breath of the country.
The use of the mass media as the primary car and mode of campaigning in elections must be highlighted and effectively utilized by political celebrations and candidates in future elections. In this regard the use of broadcasting during the 2007 electioneering period shall serve as a model of how local issues can be addressed through the several community broadcasting stations throughout the country. The once single government owned and managed SLBS no longer has a monopoly on broadcasting transmission and ownership in the country. In fact the limited range of the SLBS during the last elections rendered it virtually ineffective, as for example Radio Wanjie in Pujehun was healthy to wage coverage specifically to the Pujehun electorate.
The establishment of a national TV would also enhance the visual message that political celebrations and candidates can effectively communicate without the need for the massive public street rallies and hence the region for violence. It is regrettable that after 47 years of monopoly on TV rights by the government SLBS, the country except for Freetown has had no TV penetration. Efforts in providing private licenses for TV transmission throughout the country must be stepped up not only for its entertainment value but to ensure the sustenance of our fledgling democracy.
Finally, it must be noted that the current system and paradigms underpinning our social, political and economic developmental aspirations have unsuccessful and the challenge covering us all is the formulation and expression of alternatives to address policy issues such as violence in the electoral system through the competition of ideas that would forestall the monopoly of barren and unprogressive political thought and practice that has so far been a hallmark of our political discourse. To this end I applaud the efforts exhibited by Mr. Charles Margai in initiating this debate.
The author, Mr. Kortor Kamara has over 25 years experience in the insurance industry both in Sierra Leone and the United States. He is a Chartered Property & Casualty Insurer and holds the Workers Compensation Claims Professional (WCCP) designation. He is a Member of the Chartered Insurance Institute (London); Certified Self-Insurance Claims Administrator-State of California; Registered World Bank Consultant and has served as a Consultant on various Insurance initiatives in Sierra Leone, including design of the country’s first Title Insurance Policy.
In addition, Mr. Kamara is a graduate of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, 1978-1981; studied Law at both the Univerisity of West Los Angeles School of Law and the California Southern School of Law in Riverside. He is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Insurance and Risk Management.
Through association with Saddleback Re, were he serves as the Regional Manager, Africa Division, Mr. Kamara is intimately involved in the supplying of reinsurance coverage, policy design, loss control, training and risk management services to the African Insurance marketplace. Mr. Kamara can be reached at Kortorkamara@yahoo.com.
www.saddlebackre.com.
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