Culled from Standard Times
August 30, 2007 09:21 AM While the PMDC Leader, lawyer Charles Margai may be enduring blows and criticisms from a cross section of home based politicians, he has however been lauded by the Guinean President, Lansana Conte as somebody brainy and hardworking. The Guinean President was speaking on Monday this week to some of his colleagues when he reflected on the political situation in Sierra Leone. “Margai is a brain and hardworking, he said and recalled the role he played while the Tejan Kabbah government was in exile in Guinea. “He played a useful role when his government was overthrown, that notwithstanding “I hate him because he wants to disgrace a friend and brother” Conte fumed, and said that he was prepared to support materially and financially his friend if he fails to control five million people.
President Lansana Conte informed his audience that he has already contacted the NDA leader to team up with the SLPP in the second round of the presidential run-off election, and was also prepared together with ex-president Obasango of Nigeria to refund all expenditures incurred by the leaders of the National Democratic Alliance, Mr. Amadu Boye Jalloh and Dr. Baba Conteh of the Peace and Liberation Party if they throw their support behind Solomon Berewa of the SLPP.
It is not known whether or not the Guinean President would want President Kabbah to use the Police, Military and the Electoral Commission to thwart the desire of the people as was done in Guinea and Nigeria where electoral malpractices are the order of the day. He criticized the musicians, radio stations and the newspapers “these are responsible for the downfall of the Kabbah government in Sierra Leone” He said.
A foreign diplomatic who got wind of the political utterances of President Lansana Conte has described him as a dictator, while giving credit to His Excellency Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah as a model of democratic leader in the West Africa sub-region.
It would be recalled that similar sentiments had been expressed by ex-president Obasanjo sometime ago when he predicted that Solomon Berewa would emerge victorious in the just concluded presidential elections of August 11, 2007.
The ex-president of Nigeria would have blamed President Kabbah for being a respecter of democracy and its values, when he reflects on the fraudulent manner he conducted the elections in his country and imposed a puppet leader amidst international and local condemnations.
Sadly, there exist individual differences in both President Kabbah and ex-president Obasango, while the latter could be described as a democrat, the former is referred to as a manipulator and disrespecter of democracy. A Nigerian who spoke to this press said that Obasanjo would not favour counting of ballots to take place at the voting centres, but the headquarters so that the opportunity to stuff ballot boxes would be created. In addition, he would not want radio stations and newspaper to announce the preliminary results until the final results are published. “These are the undemocratic characters of Obasango” He said, adding that, had it been in Nigeria, there would have been delay in the dispatch of election materials and staff where support of the ruling party is weak; with about 60-70% of the staff and the security should be what he described “Your people”
According to eye witness account, the election results in Nigeria were first examined by ex-president Obasango with no representation from the opposition parties before they were released.” Obasanjo cares less about election code and foreign observers” he said.
In a very proud mood, President Lansana Conte said to his audience “How many times have I overcome the opposition”? It would be recalled that the Guinea was in a deep political mess as a result of President Lansana Conte dictatorial political ideology that resulted in the deaths of Guinean citizens and a protracted strike action, which up to this time has not been adequately resolved.
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