NEW UNPP LEADER TALKS TO COCORIOKO
SLPP AND APC NOT THE SOLUTION FOR SIERRA LEONE
Saturday June 24, 2006
-Prof. Karim
It is exactly ten years now when the United National Peoples Party (UNPP) was a political party to reckon with under the leadership and candidacy of its foundation leader Dr. John Kerefa–Smart, who contested for the party’s topmost seat in the 1996 proportional representation general election.
-Prof. Karim
It is exactly ten years now when the United National Peoples Party (UNPP) was a political party to reckon with under the leadership and candidacy of its foundation leader Dr. John Kerefa–Smart, who contested for the party’s topmost seat in the 1996 proportional representation general election.
An election that was won by the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party, (SLPP) that sent the UNPP into an extinction for quiet a long time not until in 2002 when the UNPP attempted to resurface but also loss woefully to the latter.
Last week Saturday 17th June this year, the UNPP held its National Delegates Conference in Freetown and elected a United States based Professor Abdul Kaddy Karim as leader and presidential candidate of the UNPP for the 2007 presidential bid.
Cocorioko’s Freetown based reporter Joseph Kamanda met with Professor Abdul Kaddy Karim at his Lower Allen Town residence and asked him if he is the calibre of leader that can be of a solution to the problems of post-war Sierra Leone?
Prof Karim: Now as you all know the All Peoples’ Congress Party APC and the Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party S.L.P.P are not the right solution for the problem of this country.
The S.L.P.P is not ready to fight corruption as they are just pretending.
Instead, they are bent on the practice of tribalism, selective justices and the encouragement of endemic corruption so for them, let the SLPP step aside because they can’t deliver the goods. For the APC, they are equally broke of let them back off and give chance to the UNPP which is the appropriate answer to the question of who should salvage the contemporary post war situation in Sierra Leone.
Instead, they are bent on the practice of tribalism, selective justices and the encouragement of endemic corruption so for them, let the SLPP step aside because they can’t deliver the goods. For the APC, they are equally broke of let them back off and give chance to the UNPP which is the appropriate answer to the question of who should salvage the contemporary post war situation in Sierra Leone.
Coco: In that light if you are to asses the SLPP government, how would you grade the SLPP?
Prof. Karim: I think I will give them three out of ten which is one hundred and the three percent of course is thirty percent because they have actually not done anything impressive.
Mark you am following the trend of the SLPP government well than some of those in the very system itself. I, mean lose at the health harzard that is being inflicted upon the city.
Freetown is health harzard that why we can’t get tourists because they are afraid of health risk.
Coco: Are you in any way impressed by the recent novelty and changes in the political culture of Sierra Leone, more especially with the formation of the peoples’ Movement for Democratic Change and that of the new APC?
Prof. Karim: These are not changes young man you don’t call that changes because the are the same people who serve the APC for the past two and the half decades did nothing and most of its members are now with the incumbent government.
The APC destroyed the national currency, introduced violence in politics, toughry and other ills in the system, whiles the SLPP is synonymous with nepotism, tribalism, for which and other things the people are not happy with them.
For the Peoples’ Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) I want to sincerely advice Mr. Margai not make a fool of the people of this country, because having a good study of his party symbol, it portray no change as there is some features of the SLPP which disqualifies the PMDC’s change.
Coco: Ten years down memory lane, the UNPP under Dr. John Kerfa-Smart was a party to reckon. Now tell us between the UNPP of 1996 and that of 2006 under your leadership.
Prof. Karim: Now the message to the people is simple straight toward and clear that, the UNPP will come and save Sierra Leoneans because it is a party of hope, fairness change and justice for all.
Coco: Your party have been out of the political scene for a very long time, and other parties that is, PMDC, APC and the SLPP have almost gone across the country marketing their political ideologies.
And you are only surfacing at the eleventh hour of the pre-campaign season do you thinks the UNPP can make it in the 2007 parliamentary and presidential elections?
Prof. Karim: We have never been out of the scene the UNPP has always maintains its pace.
Coco: But not been able to make much difference since you lost the 1996 election to the SLPP?
Prof. Karim: We did not lose the 1996 elections.
The SLPP never defeated us in 1996 elections everybody knows that. We gave up the result in the name of peace and we wanted the war to stop.
The fact that the SLPP won the 2002 elections does not mean they swept the board in 1996.
This time round we are going to correct our mistakes by changing our strategies and get ready for a more fair play in the 2007 elections.
This time round we are going to correct our mistakes by changing our strategies and get ready for a more fair play in the 2007 elections.
Coco: Let me take a bit back to the just concluded convention which elected you as leader of the UNPP. Is that a recognised voting system?
Prof. Karim: It was well accepted by majority of the party member as a constitutional amendment was made and agreed upon that the voting should be done openly.
Coco: Did you expect to win before the election was conducted?
Prof. Karim: I knew I was going to win and I told my opponent Mohamed Ben Kamara that of am going to beat him.
Coco: You are a new man in the party but that besides you gave you opponent a bloody nose. Now tell us what is the magic responsible for your victory?
Prof. Karim: It is not a magic at all, it yet if you put it so then the magic is that am always in touch with my people, contributing towards the promotion of the party because I never under estimated any programme undertaken by the UNPP. I have always involved in whatever the party is embarking on and willing to contribute financially.
Coco: tell us what are some of the things that you have done for your party and the country as whole.
Prof. Karim: For that I want leave it to you so that you can asses me because even the convention, I contributed to make it a success. Let me tell you I bring the UNPP back to life. My contribution to the party is financially and moral one.
Coco: Now that you have won the leadership how do you intend to restore the past glory of the UNPP?
Prof: I will up and reach my members supporters everywhere in the country and I will not leave UNPP member and supporter out of my campaign trial.
Coco: And the loosing opponent?
Prof. Karim: Ben is my brother, I mean a junior brother to me, I have no bones to pick with him am going to get him in the fold and in the campaign team because he is very instrumental to the UNPP. He loves the party.
Coco: what description can you give to the political culture that is being practice by the UNPP?
Prof. Karim: we the UNPP practice civilized politics, devoid of corruption, greed, tribalism, nepotism, and violence and on the whole the UNPP have a stable reputation.
Unlike the SLPP and APC who are branded with uncivilized political culture. Imagine the APC and SLPP conducted their conventions at the same time.
They rushed into conventions with the expectation laving elect their leaders, the quarrels within their parties will end immediately.
But up to now there is still a rift to be settle within the APC and the SLPP, so I down know why they rushed to elect their leaders, because for the two major parties in the county to be held an election at the same time is sounds rather uncivilized. I think the SLPP either would have give chance to one.
Coco: What can you say about the pre-campaign situation in the country?
Prof. Karim: Of course we know the vice president Mr. Solomon Berewa is campaigning everywhere in the country.
He leaves Freetown on the pretext of going on state visits in the provinces but campaign out there under the guise of his office. He is being guard by armed police whiles we don’t have none.
He leaves Freetown on the pretext of going on state visits in the provinces but campaign out there under the guise of his office. He is being guard by armed police whiles we don’t have none.
Coco: When you say us you and who?
Prof. Karim: We in the opposition because any of us can be the president of I Sierra Leone come 2007 therefore we equally need security like that of the vice president.
Coco: And the pre-campaign activities of the incumbent administration?
Prof. Karim: The National Electoral Commission NEC should grant us the same opportunity given to the vice president to campaign, because Mr. Berewa can’t continue to hide under his office.
Coco: what policy changes do you hop of injecting into the system if you happen to win the 2007 elections?
Prof. Karim: I will in the first place restore the dignity of the people of Sierra Leone, by letting the people benefit from the programmes I intend to bring.
There are so many areas of development and we can encourage foreign investors into the country.
The other area of concern is to empower the police to do their job without fear and favour and that they must be adequately paid on time.
To cub corrupt will be also be a target for my government to be that is I will make sure I review the salary of the civil service.
Coco: And how prepare are you for the election?
Prof. Karim: I will armed the UNPP with sufficient fund to fight the sitting SLPP and if the spend Le 10m I will make sure I spend Le 15m because they have all the resources at their disposal not just the money.
That’s why I will be travelling right round Europe and United States in order to secure fund for the much awaited contest.
