By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
The far eastern headquarter town of Kailahun was placed under curfew over the weekend after police interrupted violent clashes between supporters of the ruling All People’s Congress (APC) and the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP).
It all bordered on campaigning for a forthcoming parliamentary by-election.
That violence is just the latest in a spate of a worrisome and tense political atmosphere in especially the north and the east, especially coming as it does just days after after the premises of the opposition Alliance Democratic Party in the northern town of Lunsar were attacked with human faeces splattered on the walls and signboard. Again as a parliamentary by-election approaches.
In Kailahun election is due on 9 July to fill the seat in Constituency 001 made vacant by the death of Patrick Foyah, MP. His wife, had died a couple of years earlier necessitating another by-election at the time.
This time, Madam Navo Kaikai of SLPP and Haja Nasratu Jalloh-Ngobeh of the APC are gunning for the seat, and the run-up to it has been tense and sometimes violent.
According to Minister of Local Government, Maya Kaikai, they were attacked on Sunday by SLPP supporters who seized two of their motorbikes.
The Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) had marked Sunday, 19th June as APC’s own day of holding their political activities in the constituency.
For their part, SLPP supporters say APC supporters attacked the residence of their aspirant, Madam Kaikai, with the alleged attack happening when the Minister, Maya Kaikai attempted to display the APC party symbol at the family house. The Minister explained that family members at the house turned down the gesture, saying they already had a family member contesting in the election in the person of Madam Kaikai.
“As a member of the family, I also have right to display my party’s symbol in the name of democracy irrespective of political difference,” the minister is quoted as saying.
The APC secretariat in Freetown has been quiet about the situation. The party Secretary General, Osman Yansaneh, told Politico that they were relying on bodies like the police and the PPRC to get a real version of events.
He denied allegations made by SLPP and ADP that they are responsible for the violence across the political landscape.
“The leadership of the party will not tolerate any acts of violence,” he said.
But his comments have not stopped the leader of the Alliance Democratic Party from taking a swipe at them.
“APC have been engaged in an age old tactic - the politics of intimidation. It has been successful in the past but we (ADP) will not yield to it,” says ADP leader Mohamed Kamaraimba Mansaray.
Mansaray is contesting a by-election in constituency 50, in the northern district of Port Loko. Last weekend his convoy was attacked by assailants in Lunsar.
According to him, two people known only by their aliases, Madibo and Space., have been arrested.
“ Space is the APC PRO and Madibo is also a well known thug in the district”, he told Politico.
Many have questioned the role of the police in the recent violent activities. Violence during by-election campaigns is becoming a pattern.
This is the third by-election in three months. From Kono, Port Loko to Kailahun, there have been violent incidents reported during campaigns.
The ADP leader also condemned the Police for “not being proactive enough” in ensuring his security.
“I sent a video of the Port Loko Youth Chairman, threatening to burn down our office. I sent it to the AIG, PPRC, and even NEC,” he said.
The APC aspirant in Constituency 001 in Kailahun has also not stopped short of condemning the police for their action to teargas people during their rally on Sunday.
With Sierra Leone scheduled to go to the polls in general elections in 2018, some are worried that if this trend of violence continues, the polls could be characterised, if not marred, by violence.
“We are really worried and every Sierra Leonean should be really worried about 2018,” says Ngollo Katta, head of the National Election Watch (NEW), a civil society umbrella group.
He said people must “force the government to act seriously” on issues regarding political violence.
“How can a government vehicle be torched in Kono and no one is held responsible, as if nothing happened,” he said.
Even though the police local unit commander, Max Kanu refused to talk, Politico understands that the ADP leader has been assigned a police guard for his party’s political activities.
(C) Politico 22/06/16
