By Foday Moriba Conteh
Ahead of the All People’s Congress (APC) National Delegates Conference scheduled to take place on the 17th, 18th and 19th of September 2021 in Makeni, Northern Sierra Leone, a 21-Man Committee of the Party has, during a press conference held on Tuesday 14th September, 2021, informed pressmen that the court gave them and the Party, as a whole, under the supervision of the PPRC, to undertake the planning ,preparation, coordination and implementation functions, respectively, for the conduct of an Emergency National Delegates Conference on the 17th, 18th and 19th of September 2021 of which they told pressmen that they are in full compliance.
Reading a press statement, the Acting Deputy Organizing Secretary of the APC, Karamoh Kabba pointed out that the 21-Man Committee is borne out of a Court Order issued by Justice Adrian Fisher J that states; “There shall be an Emergency Delegates Conference Technical Committee, consisting of 21 members, whose sole function shall be to undertake the planning and preparation leading up to the emergency National Delegates Conference.”
He said that after the Party lost the presidential election in 2018 the call for democratic reforms by the National Reformation Movement (NRM) and other members of the Party ensued, amongst a host of other issues, in retrospect; (1) Elections process of office bearers at constituency, district, regional and the National Delegates Conference (NDC) levels. (2) The Party’s 1995 Constitution was rendered inadequate especially for its selection clause, adding that a 9-Man Committee was formed, which was mandated to go around the country to investigate the cause of the popular disenchantment amongst a good number of the members of the Party.
Karamoh Kabba stated that the 9-Man Committee brought forth three major recommendations; (1) the need to review the 1995 APC Constitution, (2) the need to create a committee that will monitor the process and (3) the need to create a peace and mediation mechanism and that as a result of the foregoing recommendations of the 9-Man Committee, the following committees were formed: (1) the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC), (2) the Monitoring Committee and (3) the Peace and Mediation Committee.
He pointed out that concerns from some members were also raised over the legality of the present National Executive of the Party, whose mandate had expired and duly extended by the National Advisory Committee (NAC) and that this was because, the constitutional timeline to organize a National Delegates Conference to elect new office bearers in accordance with the provision of the 1995 Constitution of the Party was impeded by a State of Emergency and other Executive Orders mainly due to the fight against Covid-19.
The Acting Deputy Organizing Secretary of the APC further informed party members and the general public that the 21-Man Committee and the APC Secretariat under the supervision of the PPRC are in compliance with the Court Order so far: (1) The 21-Man Committee was formed. (2) The National Secretariat is providing unfettered access to the resources of the Party to facilitate the smooth running of the Committee.
(3) The National Secretary General has published the original draft constitution in two national newspapers with wide coverage within seven days of the Court Order and serve a copy to the Court, the PPRC Chairman, the Solicitor of Alfred Peter Conteh within 7 days of the Court Order and made the draft constitution available at the headquarters of the Party in Freetown. (4) The National Secretary General has published a list of registered voters. (5) The Party completed the elections of five delegates in each 125 constituencies, elections of twenty delegates for the National Youth League and election of twenty delegates for the Women’s Congress. (6) The delegates list has been compiled, submitted to the Chairman of the PPRC and published.
In conclusion, he said such shows that the APC Party is truly a democratic institution and all the factions have demonstrated a spirit of good faith, all geared towards the adoption of a constitution that is consistent with the national Constitution and international democratic standards and best practice going forward.
Karamoh Kabba maintained that in essence, the APC Party, the Alfred Peter Conteh faction, the NRM faction, the Diaspora faction and the Big Six faction will now allow the Party to achieve its aims and objectives, the intentions of the good faith reasoning behind the request made by the Party leadership when it requested for the variation of the Court Order, adding that they are confident that this process will also enhance their path to overcome their challenges and build a united force to win the presidential election in 2023.
The Acting Deputy Organizing Secretary of the APC used the opportunity to remind all their stakeholders and membership at large that the Court Oder calls for a sole agenda, that there will be no flag bearer, banners, other paraphernalia and support groups activities at the National Delegates Conference on the 17th, 18th and 19th September 2021 and that any breach of the Court Oder will be tantamount to a contempt of Court.
