By Amin Kef Sesay
In a Press Release issued by the National Reformation Movement (NRM) and signed by, Mohamed Sheridan Kamara, as its leader, it was categorically highlighted that at the very outset it is worth pointing out that they, as a Movement, entered into negotiations with the avowed aim of resolving issues amicably.
It continued that more than anything, it was the desire to resolve the impasse within the All People’s Congress (APC) Party and allow it to move past the protraction, that surrounds the adoption of a democratic Constitution that led them to the negotiating table.
The NRM stated that, however, the insistence of the leadership of the party to take them to a convention with their pre-selected, manufactured delegates was what led Alfred Peter Conteh, the NRM’s Deputy Leader, to institute an action against the party’s overstayed leadership in the High Court of Sierra Leone in Freetown.
“Alfred Conteh’s opposition is to prevent Ernest Bai Koroma and Osman Foday Yansaneh from proceeding to a convention with their manufactured delegates, who are clearly against the democratic ideals we seek,” the Release also pointed out adding that as they all have seen, although the party’s expired leadership, through their lawyers, approached the judge for a variation of the injunction to allow the party to adopt a new constitution, they suddenly appealed against that very variation their lawyers pleaded for and solicited from the court, just because the party’s Chairman and his handpicked delegates have been restrained from manipulating the process.
It was maintained in the Press Release that they, at the NRM, find it very disturbing that Ernest Bai Koroma (EBK) and his expired leadership appealed an order that merely restrains them from participating as delegates in the adoption of the constitution.
The NRA said they found it very disappointing that Ernest Bai Koroma unconscionably appealed an order that commands the party to conduct elections for the delegates who are to adopt the constitution.
It continued that those recent actions, instigated by EBK, have demonstrated that the pleas made in court by the party’s lawyers that the party has found itself falling behind in the race to keep pace with the national electoral calendar mean nothing when weighed against EBK’s presence as a self-imposed delegate in the process of adopting a new constitution.
The Release continued that now that it is no longer in dispute that EBK and his illegal executive are only interested in going to a convention with their handpicked opponents of democracy to adopt another autocratic and totalitarian constitution, they want the public to know that the NRM has joined forces with Alfred Conteh’s lawsuit to ensure that the matter is concluded in court.
The NRM said it is particularly pleased with those two orders handed down by Justice Fisher: restraining the national officers of the party and their handpicked opponents of democracy, who masquerade as delegates, from sowing further confusion and instructing that elections are conducted for the delegates who are to adopt the constitution.
The NRM stated that conclusively, they are calling for the formation of an interim body to conduct elections for delegates and organize a convention, where a new constitution will be adopted within forty-five days.
It assured that it remains committed to the struggle to democratize the internal politics of the APC.
In another development, the same leader of the National Reformation Movement (NRM), Mohamed Sheridan Kamara, in a letter written to the Chairman of the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) ,dated the 2nd June 2021, on the topic: Request for a Meeting with PPRC, stated that pursuant to a High Court Ruling in the matter between Alfred Peter Conteh and Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and others, the Honourable, Justice A. Fisher J., ordered the 3rd Defendant, which is the APC Party, to conduct elections of delegates and organize a convention for the adoption of the draft APC constitution and to deal with any outstanding membership issues in the party.
Mohamed Sheridan Kamara continued that in line with the same ruling, the PPRC, being the 4th Defendant in the instant case the court ordered him as PPRC Chairman, to supervise the conduct of such a convention.
He added that it is to his knowledge and belief that the 1st and 2nd Defendants lost their appeals for a stay of execution and leave to appeal to the Appeals Court.
According to him, he considers their enthusiasm for appeals as a calculated attempt to batter the opportunity for the adoption of a democratic constitution for the party.
“In the circumstances, therefore, taking into consideration the fact that time is of the essence, and being a 3rd Defendant in the aforesaid matter, that is desirous of ensuring a democratic constitution adopted for the party, I write to seek your directives on the implementation of the orders of the judge and to have a meeting with your Commission to discuss other related issues,” the NRM leader appealed.
