POLITICAL PARTIES COMMIT TO PEACEFUL SIERRA LEONE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 FREETOWN 000542

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA (BGRAVES)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2022
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SL
SUBJECT: POLITICAL PARTIES COMMIT TO PEACEFUL SIERRA LEONE
PRESIDENTIAL RUN-OFF

REF: A. FREETOWN 508


B. FREETOWN 503

C. FREETOWN 501

D. FREETOWN 493

E. FREETOWN 484

F. FREETOWN 482

G. FREETOWN 481

Classified By: CDA Elizabeth Pratt for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

1.(SBU) SUMMARY: President Kabbah joined All People,s
Congress (APC) candidate, Ernest Bai Koroma, and Sierra
Leone People,s Party (SLPP) candidate Vice President
Solomon Berewa in issuing a joint statement affirming their
commitment to a non-violent campaign and presidential run-
off election. To highlight their commitment the two
candidates are scheduled to hold a joint peace rally and
ride in a motorcade through Freetown on September 6, the
last official day of campaigning. There continue to be
reports of isolated violence between SLPP and APC
supporters as tensions remain high and the country awaits
Saturday,s run-off ballot.

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Koroma "Traumatized"?
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2. (SBU) The National Elections Commission (NEC),the
Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) and the
Sierra Leone security services jointly sponsored a
conference September 1 to address the role of the media on
peace and security. President Kabbah addressed
participants. Other speakers included NEC chairperson
Christiana Thorpe, and Vice-President Berewa in his
capacity as SLPP candidate. APC candidate Ernest Koroma
was noticeably absent, but was represented by his
spokesperson, Alpha Kanu, who, somewhat unfortunately,
stated reports of SLPP followers attacking APC supporters
with machetes had "traumatized" Koroma and left him unable
to attend the conference.

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Parties warned against using ex-combatants
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3. (U) In his address, Kabbah admonished the media to act
responsibly and to avoid untruths which can lead to
inciting violence. Both Kabbah and National Security
Coordinator, retired Brigadier General Kellie Conteh, warned
the political parties against using ex-combatants as
security guards and made clear that only the Sierra Leone
Police (SLP) were authorized to carry weapons, protect
candidates, provide security and enforce election
procedures. At the end, Kabbah suggested that the two
competing candidates hold a joint peace rally and motorcade
together through Freetown. The next day Berewa, Kabbah,
and Koroma met to discuss the campaign and issued a joint
statement affirming their support for a non-violent
electoral process. The candidates also announced that they
would participate in the joint motorcade on September 6
(the last official campaign day). The event is now being
called the "Support Peace March," to demonstrate that their
political competition is not a war. Other peace marches will
be held
simultaneously throughout the country.

4.(U) During the morning conference 2,000 to 4,000 APC and
SLPP
supporters clashed in eastern and downtown Freetown near
the SLPP headquarters. Individuals were seen carrying
machetes and large sticks. According to reports, around
two dozen persons were injured, though none seriously.
The Sierra Leonean Police were able to control the violence
using tear gas.


5. (U) Some of the media conference speakers also condemned
scurrilous
articles, mostly in Awareness Times, accusing UN electoral
technical staff
and observers of inappropriately interfering with the
electoral process.
While newspaper readership is limited, the articles were
being reproduced
and circulated throughout Sierra Leone. On August 30,
UNIOSIL sent
a letter to Awareness Times noting that the inflammatory and
irresponsible
accusations were in violation of the media code of conduct,
"and put members
of the interntional community at risk."

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ECOWAS Delegation Visit
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6. (U) An ECOWAS delegation, led by Dr. Mohamed Ibn
Chambas, ECOWAS Commission president, including the Foreign
Ministers of Nigeria and Burkina Faso, made a one day visit
to Freetown on September 1 and attended the conference. In
his address to the audience, Chambas commended the
"disciplined" conduct of the August 11 elections and urged
Sierra Leoneans to "desist from any acts likely to threaten
the hard earned peace and stability of the country."

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NEC announces Run-off Procedural Changes...
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7.(SBU) Based on their experience in the August 11
election, the NEC announced several changes for the
September 8th run-off. To help ensure the polls open on
time, the NEC will pre-position and guard election
materials at the polling stations the night before the
vote. On election day, the SLP will enforce a NEC imposed
400-meter buffer zone around polling stations to deter
loitering crowds of voters who have already cast their
ballots. In order to promote full participation, the NEC
will permit the SLPP and the APC to send two party agents
each to every polling stations while the other political
parties will be allowed one agent per station. Only
the APC and SLPP agents will sign and receive a copy of the
official tally sheet for the station they observe.

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...and the SLPP raises a stink
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8. (SBU) During the final Political Party Liaison meeting
on September 5, the SLPP raised several objections to NEC
procedures for the run-off. The NEC clarified that voters
with valid GOSL-issued identification who appear on the
registration list but do not have their voter registration
card would be allowed to vote. This procedure was followed
during the first electoral round on August 11. The SLPP
argued that the NEC,s determination violated the law.
Although the NEC,s legal counsel clarified that the Sierra
Leone Solicitor General had approved this policy, the SLPP
representatives threatened to take their argument to court.
The SLPP representatives also objected to the presence of
party agents for the smaller parties that were no longer
contesting the election.

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NEC Official suspended
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9.(U) On August 31, NEC Chairperson Thorpe suspended
Mohammed Massaquoi, the NEC Logistics Officer, for two
weeks, following a suspicious incident. Reportedly on
August 27 Massaquoi, without the knowledge or approval of
the NEC, accompanied alarge group of SLPP officials to the
airport where the NEC and political party agents were
witnessing the arrival of ballot materials. Airport police,
suspicious of Massaquoi,s arrival in non-NEC vehicles,
notified of Dr. Thorpe of Massaquoi,s presence.

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Comment:
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10.(C) It is clear that the SLPP is extremely concerned
about
the possibility of losing the election to the APC and is
scrambling in an effort to gain votes. Their repeated
objections to relatively minor issues that did not have a
clear impact on electoral transparency creates the
appearance of desperation. The SLPP has already made some
major missteps, such as their payments to "supporters"
prior to August 11. Many Sierra Leoneans wondered how
the cash was raised and which government program was
raided.

11.(C) The effort to introduce calm in the run up to the
elections seems to have had some success. The past two
days have been relatively calm and the frequency of clashes
seem to have subsided. However, anxieties continue.
Certainly,
there will be tension in the polling aftermath as the country
waits
for final results. An unofficial tally is likely to be known
within at
least 48 hours, but we expect the NEC to take, at a minimum,
one
week to certify results.
PRATT