By Kabs Kanu
The good news for Sierra Leoneans, in general, is that the U.S. Congress finally approved the Millennium Challenge Corporation ( MCC ) $480 million Compact this week and the Minister of Finance, Mr. Fantamady Bangura and MCC head, Madam Madeline Albright did the formal signing of the contract in Washington DC today.
The bad news, however, for SLPP supporters in particular, is that, despite the signing, Sierra Leone’s eligibility for the Compact is still contigent upon the country’s sustained commitment to advancing democracy, combating corruption, investing in the people and continually meeting eligibility benchmarks not only in these areas but in the full and expeditious implementation of the Agreement of National Unity and the joint recommendations of the Tripartite Committee, which even includes achieving justice and violence related to 2023 multi- tier elections.
These conditionalities have made SLPP supporters not to celebrate the signing with their usual pompous pomp and pageantry as their impetuous, lawless, anarchical, dictatorial, despotic, insubordinate and non-conforming President and government could default these benchmarks.
As is also known about MCC Compact grants, this money will not go into the hands of SLPP government officials but American contractors, who will execute the projects.
It must also be reported that when photos began emerging on social media of the MCC signing occasion, many Sierra Leoneans were distraught because they thought the U.S Congress approval.was premature , in view of the fact that Bio had not yet started implementing any of the recommendations of the Tripartite Committee , which Congress had given as precondition for giving approval to the Compact. Many wrote angry posts accusing the United States of undermining democracy and good governance in Sierra Leone. But the press release from the U.S Embassy in Sierra Leone, which came out later, soothed their minds that the MCC had given conditionalities to Bio, hinging on democracy and restoring electoral justice, which would make Congress withdraw the approval if not implemented.
The U.S statement has opened the door for the people to fight for their denied and stolen electoral rights . The language is clear and unambiguous that the U.S. Congress has carried along with their approval of the MCC Compact the justice Sierra Leoneans have been crying for all year for the stolen 2023 elections.
If the people of Sierra Leone stand up for their rights and insist on electoral justice, it is a golden opportunity that they could achieve, given the language of that U.S Embassy statement.
It no longer depends on the mandate ECOMOG will be coming to execute as some people had hoped . Now, the U.S. Congress has slammed the door wide open for the people themselves to fight for their electoral rights.
SLPP supporters have smelt the rat; that was why we did not see any inordinate trolling and provocation of APC supporters, as everybody knows that the SLPP would have done, if the signing of the MCC Compact had not come with these stiff conditionalities.
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