By Titus Boye-Thompson
Never in the history of politics in Sierra Leone has the country been at the driving seat of political brinkmanship with political parties changing gear for what is going to be a competitive but yet clearly drawn out battle of the giants of politics
This will be a battle between David and Goliath but one with a twist. The David in this case is unassuming, quietly self assured but humble. The Goliath is boastful as usual but rather than being sure of winning, this is a Goliath that is so afraid of losing that he has tried any which way but refuse to allow the battle to take place.
Dr Samura Kamara’s bid for the All People’s Congress (APC) flagbearer this coming Sunday 12th February would be the crowning of the people’s candidate. The joyous nature of the event could only be spoiled by over policing and an exuberance of fearfulness from a government that would clearly see the writing on the wall. In the event, as the APC gather in Makeni for this event, many within the party must now come to terms with what is inevitably going to be a last chance to bridge the divides and to prepare their own camps for a unified candidature.
Having said this, some will ask why advocate for a crowning of Dr Samura Kamara when we wish to seek democracy in the public domain. The answer to that requires some clarification. The crowning of Dr Samura Kamara as APC flagbearer should be taken as a mark of collective positioning of the APC as a political entity that is moving together as one united force. It does not deny the rights of others to aspire as flagbearers but what it should ignite is a general realization from each flagbearer to decide within themselves whether they now wish to add to the APC’s problems in opposition or that they wish to work assiduously to remove such problems and barriers to a winning team.
Secondly, it should no longer be a party ill at ease with itself; the APC we should now start to build would be constructed around a unified leadership and focused to forming the next government.
Knowing the man at the pivot of all this, Dr Samura Kamara is a unifier and a seasoned administrator. No doubt, he is well aware of the various pressure groups that have been formed in this struggle and in the last four years, he has earned his stripes as a battle hardened, toughened and well tested APC leader. Our fight should no longer be a fight within the APC but a fight for the heart and soul of this nation called Sierra Leone.
The test to democracy in his bid to become the APC flagbearer is a stress test on how to win and regain power. There would be a stiff learning curve in all of this but the compassion with which the APC regain control would be the greater test of our collective humanity. The APC would not be vindictive or aggressive against the tribes outside of their strongholds. Dr Samura Kamara is on record of stating that he would not institute a commission of inquiry against this sitting government. This is a right approach. Power does not exist in a vacuum, and this means that the continuum of revenge for revenge would only leave the country divided and impossible to develop. This welcomed position of the prospective APC flagbearer should test the resolve of all others who wish to see sanity return to our politics Dr Samura Kamara would be a leader for all of the APC and in turn, a President for the whole of Sierra Leone. His would not be a partisan dispensation that would elevate any “Team A” over the rest or catapult a “Temne” over a “Mende” just for the sake of it. What we will want to see happen would be a reasonable giving of account by the previous government and a process by which lessons could be learnt by the sour relationship that tribal politics has created within our polity.
As someone who is passionate about development, I am convinced that there can never be rapid change and true progress in Sierra Leone unless there is the peace and collective engagement of all sections of our country working together and this has never been truly done unless under an APC government.
Dr Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara is the man for all seasons. This Sunday, I want to call on all our comrades to start the process of reaching agreement on how we can start rebuilding this country under a very forward looking APC president and the wise leadership that we are sure that Dr Samura Kamara would provide.
Long live the APC
Long live Sierra Leone!