TRACE: Lesson For Sierra Leone… US ELECTION: A POLITICS WITH NO COLOR BOUNDARY

BY IBRAHIM JOENAL SESAY 

Politics is an activity associated with the governance of a country or other areas, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power. 

A pleasant day to you my beloved readers, TRACE has been yearning to bring such piece to you  just after the November 8 election of the United States of America but events in Sierra Leone caught TRACE’s eyes.

TRACE learnt that democracy from all points of view is a government of the people, for the people and by the people.

In other words, it is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.

This was clearly demonstrated in the US election when Americans decided to elect their next president for another four years.  

TRACE closely monitored that election from the onset. From all indication, TRACE can clearly say democracy is at work in that country.

TRACE wants to use this opportunity to congratulate the US President elect Donald Trump and the Republican Party for such victory and encourage the losing team Democrat, Madam Hillary Clinton better luck next time.

TRACE starts to monitor the election proper when the first debate was held. Despite the heated debates and reports and counter reports against each other, TRACE was really move to see those candidates putting on colors that is not related to their part or better say colors that relate to their opponent.

Donald Trump of the Republican Party had RED color as his party’s color whiles Hillary Clinton of the Democrat Party had BLUE  as her party’s color.

TRACE saw how these two candidates were cress-crossing with these colors with no objection by their opponent not to talk about their supporters.

Not a single time did we hear about attack on this supporter for putting on BLUE instead of RED or RED instead of BLUE. 

TRACE learnt that Election is all about issues, how are you going to address the issues that are playing on the minds of the voters? What are some of the policy you will introduce and what are the issues you will address if elected into office?

This is what TRACE called election but the situation in Sierra Leone is quite different. There are lot of discrimination, violence and stigmatization of people when it comes into elections.

Most Sierra Leoneans fear to put on RED or GREEN when elections are fast approaching because of the intimidation they will be facing in the hands of so-called supporters. Even if you are not supporting them, once election is here you are restricted to put on the All People’s Congress (APC) RED and the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) GREEN.

TRACE do not know where such thinking came from. The leaders started it all. When you look at the campaign, if you don’t put on their party colors they will begin to see you as spy.

 They give appointment base on how often you put on your RED or GREEN. No wonder most people put on such colors during odd times just for them to be seen by the leaders.

They took those colors as their god, even the items they buy most relate to their party color. When you want to give them file, they will say I need the RED one or don’t give me BLUE I need GREEN, this is my color.

 The ideologies of their leaders have come down to the supports.  

One thing some of these leaders always fail to realize is that there are people who are just fun of putting on certain colors as their favorite color.  Most of them force people to put on their color as a way of showing support.

TRACE wants to believe it’s high time the politicians and their supporters changed these habits as 2018 election is fast approaching.

TRACE knows most of our leaders are full of fake promises, but it’s high time we started dealing with issues not colors.

There are lots of issues to address in this country rather than focusing on colors.

Issues like the economy of the country, military, health, trade, education, water, energy, road, and infrastructure among others.

But not to be looking at who put on what colors or not, only idle people focuses on that and fail to address the things they should be addressing.

Most Sierra Leone politicians are quick to give example to either the United States or one of the Europeans countries as one of the best practice like  “that is what they are doing in the US” but they will always fail to implement some of the good things they saw in the US or United Kingdom in their own country.

This have to stop! Do the things that will bring laurel to you and the country. Sierra Leone has been branded as one of the democratic countries in the world. We have to move one more step further to save the country now by dealing with issues in their elections instead of party colors.   

2018 elections will soon be here, TRACE wants to see APC puts on GREEN and SLPP puts on RED as their normal dress. Color should not make any different in our lifestyle nor separate us as a united country.

With the right issues discuss and with no color discrimination, Sierra Leone will rise again. See you on the other side…