TRACE: IF ONLY SLPP CAN TAKE OFF THE MASK

Hey folks, how are you doing? The news about the cash strapped of the central government made TRACE to think about some of the words of one of Sierra Leone finest musician.

Anyway that is not the main topic of today’s TRACE but it is something for you to think about.

As usual for TRACE, TRACE is looking at the things that matters in society.

The Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), the oldest political party in the country is still in dispute. TRACE took a careful looked at the party which was formed by Sir Milton Margai and Co as a social democratic party.

SLPP is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, along with the All People's Congress (APC). The party dominated Sierra Leone's politics from its foundation in 1951 to 1967, when it lost the 1967 Sierra Leone parliamentary election to the main opposition All People's Congress (APC), led by Siaka Stevens.

In 1996 the SLPP returned to power when its leader Ahmad Tejan Kabbah won the 1996 Sierra Leone presidential election. The party was in power from 1996 to 2007, when it again lost to the main opposition All People's Congress (APC), led by Ernest Bai Koroma in the 2007 Sierra Leone presidential election.

SLPP dominated politics in Sierra Leone in the years following World War II. In 1955 and 1956, riots occurred in Sierra Leone, originally sparked by the artisan union's strike over pay, further unrest followed and  strikes by transport workers.

These events led to a growing sense of animosity between the SLPP and Krio parties, especially the Cyril Rogers-Wright led United Sierra Leone Progressive Party established in 1954.

 The SLPP was able to position itself as 'the countryman's party,' and notably garnered the support of the tribal chiefs.

After elections in 1957, Milton Margai bowed to behind the scenes pressure and stepped down from leadership of the SLPP, with his brother Albert Margai taking his stead.

However, in 1958, Albert Margai and Siaka Stevens launched a new party, the People's National Party (PNP), which aimed for greater African involvement in the British colonial government.

With the independence of Ghana in 1957, the PNP fought with the police and got the support of the educated elite as the party to lead Sierra Leone’s transition to independence.

Stevens would later leave this party to form the northern supported All Peoples Congress. Upon independence in 1961, Milton Margai became Prime Minister, and the SLPP became the ruling party.

The SLPP, along with almost all Sierra Leonean political parties, signed the constitution at the London constitutional conference with the APC being the only exception.

This unity did not extend to national politics, as opposing politicians often faced detainment under SLPP rule.

Sir Milton Margai's death in 1964 left the position of leadership of the SLPP to his brother Sir Albert Margai. Albert's rule was characterized by dissent. Politically, he attempted to strengthen the position of the SLPP elites in relation to the chiefs, who had formed the backbone of the party.

Albert's personal extravagance led to further animosity, especially after the country faced an economic downturn in 1966.

Albert also reinforced the tendency of the SLPP to be a regional and ethnic party, installing a policy of affirmative action to the advantage of the southern Mende tribes.

It was thought by opposing leaders that in light of Margai's declining popularity, Sierra Leone may establish a one-party system.

 APC victory in the elections in 1967 confirmed that the SLPP would no longer lead the country, and in an attempt to remain in control, Margai convinced the military, under the command of Brigadier Lansana, to stage a coup and declare martial law. The National Reformation Council (NRC) was established to govern the country, and the SLPP was able to remain an influential force.

Brigadier Lansana was quickly ousted in a counter-coup (March 23, 1967) led by Major Charles Blake, with the purpose of keeping Albert Margai and the SLPP out of power.

 This signaled the final blow to the SLPP's position as a primary political party in Sierra Leone. Under Blake, the National Reformation Council (NRC) replaced the SLPP, and the ruling junta began the process of returning the country to civilian control. This did not occur fast enough, and pressure from the APC, trade unions, and university students led to the junta's collapse in 1968, and Siaka Stevens became president.

When Sierra Leone turned into a one-party state in 1978 all SLPP MPs except one joined the APC. In 1982 the so-called Ndogboyosoi (bush devil) war erupted between the APC government and the SLPP in the south.

In 1996 SLPP returned to prominence, as its candidate Ahmad TejanKabbah won the presidential election, receiving 59.5% of the popular vote in a second round against John Karefa-Smart of the United National People's Party (UNPP).

In the election held on May 14, 2002, the party won 69.9% of the popular vote and 83 out of 112 seats in the House of Representatives, and its candidate in the presidential election, Kabbah, won 70.1% of the vote and was re-elected.

At the SLPP's national convention in Makeni on September 3–4, 2005, Vice-President Solomon Berewa was selected by the SLPP as its leader and its 2007 presidential candidate.

 He received 291 votes, while Charles Margai received 34, Julius Maada Bioreceived 33, and J. B. Dauda received 28."Vice President Berewa Leads SLPP."

In the August 2007 election, the SLPP was defeated by the APC in the parliamentary election, receiving 43 seats against 59 for the APC; the PMDC, a party founded by Charles Margai as a split from the SLPP that attracted some of the support of traditionally SLPP voters, won 10 seats.

In the presidential election, the SLPP candidate, Berewa, took second place in the first round, winning 38.3% of the vote against 44.3% for the APC candidate, Ernest Bai Koroma.

"Freetown opposition party wins majority, "Reuters (IOL), August 24, 2007. A second round of the presidential election was held in September; Koroma prevailed with 54.6% of the vote against 45.4% for Berewa.

 "Sierra Leone gets a new leader", AFP (The Times, South Africa), September 17, 2007."Sierra Leone opposition win presidency", BBC News, 17 September 2007.

In keeping with the SLPP constitution which requires its leader to resign if the party loses a national election under his leadership, Berewa resigned as party leader on October 17, 2007, leaving Alhaji SulaimanJah as acting leader.

"Berewa steps aside after losing vote", AFP (IOL), October 18, 2007.In 2011, Julius Maada Bio became SLPP's nominee for the 2012 presidential election. He beat Usman Boie Kamara, who came in second place. Thanks to en.wikipedia.org.

Since that time the history of the SLPP changed from a party in which its members accept constitution and rule of law to a party of thugs and counter attack.

Few years ago, TRACE began to see factions within the party just because one person wants to take and control everything.

The party is essentially divided in the middle with the present spate of violence, intimidation, inflammatory statements over the media, court cases and discordant views on important national issues in parliament.

The country is going under immense stress and her economy is nothing to write home about. The bulk of the population relied on the opposition to speak on their behalf but they said their house is not in order just like the economy.

One thing that beat TRACE’s imagination is for TRACE to wake up on the 27 of April just to hear that the police are battling with some SLPP members because the Police refused them to parade with their masquerade.

What a shame for the oldest party in the country to celebrate their anniversary with devil masquerade. TRACE was expecting those that are fighting to rule the nation and that party to organize a conference on that day for them to reflect on how the party has been before they took over and how they can solve their problems but that was absent from their thought.

If the ruling party is dancing while the masses are suffering should the opposition follow?

They were eager to dance “Munku boss pan match” that was their own way of serving as opposition, what a shame.

It is true that the party has more educated people but no one has even come with an educated solution to solve the infighting in the party.

Their eyes are still blind to the truth that power can only come from God if you say you want it by force, more danger and damage will occur. 

TRACE has moved across the country and assess the situation and ] the only SLPP supporters that are enjoying such situation are those that are very close to the power that be, if it comes to the supporters, they want to see an end to such ugly situation.

It is good for all those aspiring for SLPP flag bearer ship to speak in one voice and take a clear stance for the betterment of the party and themselves.

TRACE is of the view that SLPP can only see very clearly when they take off the mask and go by the law of that party, if not, they will involve in more confusion than what is happening today. Only the true can set them free from the mess they have put themselves.

Hey! Don’t worry TRACE will bring you more on this, see you on the other side of the Sierra Leone.