TRIPARTITE INTER-PARTY DIALOGUE FACES ROADBLOCKS IN IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOLUTION 4 DEALING WITH RELEASE OF POLITICAL DETAINEES AND HALTING WITCH HUNT CASES
By Salamatu Kamara
Kelfala Marah, a representative of the opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) in the Electoral Reform Committee has highlighted the ongoing challenges in the implementation of Resolution 4, despite acknowledging initial progress in the overall agreement.
Marah made this disclosure in a press briefing held on Wednesday, 24th January 2024, at the residence of the United States Ambassador to Sierra Leone and present was the US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield..
Marah emphasized that significant obstacles persist, particularly under Resolution 4 which he said addresses critical issues such as the release of arrested and detained individuals, discontinuation of politically motivated cases, support for the resettlement of internally and externally displaced persons, and the payment of backlog emoluments to elected officials.
Marah noted that, although progress has been made, the establishment of the Committee of Moral Guarantors is yet to be realized. However, he assured the audience that engagement with the international community and partners has been effective.
He went further and shed light on the controversial aftermath of the June 24, 2023, multi-tier elections, marked by a standoff between the APC and the Sierra Leone Government. Issues included a lack of transparency in the tallying process and the Electoral Commission’s refusal to publish results, preventing independent verification. Due to these concerns, Marah explained that the APC chose not to participate in governance until its demands on result publication were met. With the intervention of the ECOWAS mediation team, an agreement was reached, leading to progress in some areas but leaving major issues unresolved.
The APC continues to rely on the cooperation of the Government, political will, and technical support from partners to address the outstanding resolutions. Recently, the APC presented a plan of action to the Government for accelerated coordination, monitoring, and real-time reporting on the Agreement through a dedicated online platform.
Marah informed the UN Permanent Representative to the UN that progress has been made in the implementation of Resolution 3, involving the review of the 2023 elections and previous elections.
He expressed hope for continued positive collaboration in the remaining five months of the Committee’s work.
The APC representative outlined the terms of reference guiding the Committee’s examination, covering elections results management, certification and publication procedures, electoral laws and regulations, and assessments of key elections management bodies.
He emphasized the sacred responsibility of clearing doubts surrounding the compromised 2023 elections and pledged the APC’s commitment to a thorough and cooperative process with the Government and development partners.
KELFALA MARAH
