Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06FREETOWN325
2006-04-20 10:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Freetown
Cable title:  

ON EVE OF TRIP TO UK AND US, ALL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS

Tags:  PGOV SL 
pdf how-to read a cable
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 FREETOWN 000325 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W, INR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2016
TAGS: PGOV SL
SUBJECT: ON EVE OF TRIP TO UK AND US, ALL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS
PARTY STRUGGLES TO UNIFY, MOVE FORWARD

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires James A. Stewart, reasons 1.4 b/d

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 FREETOWN 000325

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W, INR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2016
TAGS: PGOV SL
SUBJECT: ON EVE OF TRIP TO UK AND US, ALL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS
PARTY STRUGGLES TO UNIFY, MOVE FORWARD

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires James A. Stewart, reasons 1.4 b/d


1. (U) The opposition All People's Congress (APC) Party
Chairman and 2007 presidential nominee Ernest Bai Koroma
departs for the UK and the U.S. about April 24 to meet with
diaspora APC supporters and raise money for the 2007
presidential and parliamentary elections. In the U.S.
beginning May 4, Koroma will launch new APC party offices in
Philadelphia and Atlanta, as well as hold town meetings in
Washington, DC and New Jersey (where there will also be a
fundraising dinner). Koroma will see the Congressional Black
Caucus, chambers of commerce, the Sierra Leonean Ambassador
to the U.S., and private sector contacts, among others.


2. (U) Koroma's trip will be challenging, and not just
because of the tight schedule. Although he was nominated to
be the party's presidential candidate at a national
convention in August 2005, a vocal minority wing led by "old
school" APC heavyweights headed by MP Eddie Turay has
challenged Koroma's right to party leadership and has
initated court cases, which include criminal charges stemming
from disagreements about how the APC constitution was altered
and party convention convened. An August 19 article in "New
Vision" newspaper ("Ernest In Hot Waters!!") discussed a
diaspora APC conference in Berlin reportedly attended by over
400 APC members from the UK, Ireland, Germany, and the
Netherlands. In a post-conference communique, the APC
members resolved not to pledge support to Koroma until the
intra-party wrangling is resolved. The diaspora APC members
complained that too many of the party's resources have been
wasted on court matters and said that they expect Koroma and
Turay to "work effectively in good spirit" and "speak with
one voice" to be successful in the 2007 elections.


3. (C) The sticking point depends, of course, on who you talk
to. Koroma's has a reputation as a bold, dynamic leader with
an agenda to clean up the APC from its troubled, corrupt
history. In an April 19 meeting with CDA and PolOff, Koroma
said that since the August APC convention confirmed his
leadership, he has kept the door open to the Turay wing.
But, Koroma said, they refuse to accept him as their leader

because they see it as the end of their political career if
they do. Koroma's reply? "I am not personally opposed to
anyone having a position in the party, but they need to make
some changes." Like helping the APC become more transparent
and accountable. Like admitting mistakes that the APC made
in the past (particularly during the repressive Siaka Stevens
regime). Like taking a stand against corruption. (Note:
Koroma recently declared publicly that Musa Mansaray, the
Chairman of the Makeni Town Council, an APC member in an APC
stronghold, must resign because of corrupt activities.
Turay's wing criticized Koroma's forthright stance as too
extreme, but the public and the APC-dominated council
supported him and the Chairman has absconded in disgrace.
End Note.)


4. (C) Turay, on the other hand, sees Koroma as an overly
aggressive upstart who reneged on a deal. On April 19, Turay
told CDA and PolOff that Koroma has too much power in the
party. Turay said, "He holds five positions! One man cannot
hold five positions!" Turay also recounted a meeting that
took place at Koroma's residence prior to the August
convention. During the meeting, Turay said, both factions
agreed to postpone the national convention so as to hold a
series of "mini conventions" throughout the country to select
delegates for a postponed national convention. Turay also
wanted to appoint an interim committee to guide the process.
In return for Koroma's agreeing to the mini conventions and
new schedule, Turay said, his side would drop the court cases
against Koroma and his allies. The next day when they were
to sign a joint communique announcing the truce, Turay said,
Koroma reneged on the agreement and went forward with the
(previously scheduled) convention. As expected, Koroma won
in a clean sweep. And Turay is still mad about it.


5. (C) Comment: As Koroma leaves for his trip, the standoff
between Turay's "old school" wing and Koroma's "reform" wing
continues. Koroma needs diaspora support and funding to
consolidate his leadership and pressure Turay to relent on
the court cases. "I still have some souls to convert,"
Koroma admitted about the upcoming trip. Indeed. Turay was
silent about any upcoming APC travel, and the "New Vision"
article said that many of the attendees at the Berlin
conference resolved not to attend Koroma's meetings in UK and

FREETOWN 00000325 002 OF 002


the U.S. if Turay is not a part of the delegation. Turay,
however, cannot afford to carry out his side's threat of
sending Koroma and his allies to jail and expect to win at
the polls come 2007. Whether they are able to reach a
compromise and reunify the party in time to mobilize
effectively for the elections is another matter. End Comment.
STEWART