Dr. Samura Kamara Calls for Unity
In a national address, Dr. Samura Matthew Wilson Kamara, presidential candidate of the All Peoples Congress (APC), updated the nation on the Cross-Party Agreement for National Unity, co-signed by the APC and the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) government. This agreement aims to restore democracy after the contentious June 24, 2023, elections.
Dr. Kamara greeted the nation, acknowledging Eid al-Adha and Hajj celebrants, and emphasized values such as truth, justice, peace, love, democracy, and honor to overcome challenges. He criticized the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) for a lack of transparency in announcing election results without the necessary Results Reconciliation Forms (RRFs). This prompted the APC to reject the results and withdraw from parliamentary and local council governance.
He praised the international community’s intervention and the goodwill in reaching the Agreement for National Unity, which includes measures to review election management, address political retribution, and promote political tolerance. A Tripartite Committee, with representatives from the APC, SLPP, and international community, will examine election irregularities.
Dr. Kamara expressed frustration with the ECSL’s refusal to submit disaggregated polling station results, hindering the committee’s work. He stressed the agreement’s importance in bridging political divides and prioritizing governance, service delivery, and poverty eradication. He likened the Tripartite Committee’s role to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s post-civil war efforts, aiming to prevent the ambitions of a few from overshadowing the people’s will. He called for peace, mutual respect, and sanctions against those responsible for electoral malpractices.
Welcoming the international assessment mission led by Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, Dr. Kamara reaffirmed the APC’s commitment to the Agreement for National Unity, pledging efforts toward electoral transparency, accountability, and justice. He urged Sierra Leoneans to embrace opportunities for a peaceful, stable, and prosperous nation, ensuring democratic processes reflect the people’s true will.
