Posted by Tom Bangu on October 19, 2007 at 07:42:48:
In Reply to: True SLPP supporter posted by Solo Demby on October 19, 2007 at 07:16:23:
: Some of the reasons that led to the recent down fall
: of the SLPP in the polls.
: 1. The youth crisis - this was not adequately addresed
: by the SLPP and in fact they never saw it as
: important. The elections in 2002 were about peace but
: in 2007 it was about the fight against corruption,
: service provision and adressing the youth factor and
: SLPP failed woefully to address all of them. And
: remember, over 60% of the population is under 25 yrs
: of age and they have no recollection of the APC
: misrule lilke you and I do.
: 2. The SLPP fielded candidates, both presidentail and
: vice presidential candidates, that were very unpopular
: within the ranks of the party and nationwide. Both
: were more of liabilities than assets and they were
: chosen and forced down the throats of the party
: faithfuls and the nation as a whole by Tejan Kabbah
: and Gadafi. Their personalities could not attract
: votes.
: 3. There are more registered voters in the Western
: Area and the North than in other regions of the
: country and the SLPP was most unpopular in the Western
: Area. Their unpopularity in the Western Area was
: largely because of their dismal failure to provide
: basic services especially water supply and
: electricity. Additionally, the governement
: deliberately sabotaged the fight against corruption,
: especially the VP when he was atorney general; few
: scandals like the Okera Adams of fisheries, Drugs
: store burnt down by civil servants to destroy evidence
: of corruption and the government did nothing, massive
: corruption within the national aids secretariat - this
: was so bad the World bank had to threaten withdrawal
: of funding before the president asked the head, Sidi
: Alighanli to resign. He was not prosecueted and the
: Koidu Holdings scandal - Kono was mortgageed by the
: Kabbah government to provide him arms and amunitions
: to bring him back to power, so the mining is not
: benefiting the people and many many more. Most
: importantly, the Audit general's reports, twice in a
: role, into the activities of the goverment were never
: published. The reports were so damaging that the
: government refused to endorse and publish it much to
: the annoyance of the donor community.
: 4. Active civilc society and free press - All of this
: was happening at a time when we have a freer press and
: a more active civil society that were informing the
: masses about the activities of the government.
: 5. The Hinga Norman factor: The man is seen as a hero
: my many S/Leoneans, especially in the south east and
: his supporters blamed the SLPP for his death; so many
: supported the PMDC of charles margai instead of the
: SLPP. So while the north and the Western Area were
: united for the APC, the South East was split between
: the SLPP and the PMDC. And the final straw was when
: Margai asked all his supporters to vote for the APC in
: the run off.
: 6. Before the 2007 elections, there were signs which
: should have served as a wake up call to the SLPP, but
: the SLPP felt so comfortable in power that they never
: took any of them seriously. SLPP lost the local
: elections in Freetown in 2004, this was a sign that
: they were loosing support and needed to take action,
: instead they were joking about it saying that Freetown
: is not Sierra Leone. This was a mistake because if you
: are a governement and you loose in the capital city,
: that is an indictment in itself as the city is where
: the elite, more educated and politically conscious
: people reside hence the city serves as barometer for
: the political temperature nationwide. Freetown has the
: largest number of registered voters and in a democracy
: it is votes that count. The very vibrant music scene
: after the war was also a signal that something was
: wrong and action needed to be taken......all the calls
: of the musicians fell on deaf ears - the bobor beles,
: corruption corruption and two foot aratas were signs
: enough to warrant action.
: 7. The SLPP also never saw the PMDC as any formidable
: challenge to their stronghold in the South East. Up t o
: the very end they were mocking the PMDC saying it is a
: pikin party and while the PMDC and APC were busy
: campaining and winning hearts and minds, the SLPP just
: relaxed in Freetown confident in themselves that they
: were going to win. In an interview on the eve of the
: elections, Berewa in a BBC said he was going to win
: massively - a clear sign that the man had lost touch
: with the counrty he was trying to rule. The SLPP
: truely underestimated the APC, the PMDC and how
: unpopular they were.
: 8. The SLPP leadership was not politically astute and
: their lack of understanding of the changing political
: landscape was also responsible for thier failure. Up
: to the very end, they were not convienced that they
: were unpopular and that APC and PMDC were formidable
: forces which meant that they should have done more in
: terms of getting thier acts together. Small things
: like a robust campaign and fixing NPA and Guma Valley
: in Freetown would have made a huge differences to the
: fortunes of SLPP. Few days before the elections there
: was almost 24 hours ectricity supply in F/town - a bad
: sign for the SLPP. It meant to the voters that 24
: hours power supply in F/town is achievable but the
: SPLL never saw it as something important and proving
: it few days before elections was an insult to the
: voters who are now more politically aware.
: 9. SLPP was also let down woefully by the Northerners
: who were within the top ranks of the party namely
: Tejan Kabba, Kadi Sesay, Alpha Wurie, Sani Sesay, Dr
: Fofana, Bobson Sesay. Momodu Koroma etc etc. These
: people did nothing to campaign in the North in order
: to split the APC votes there. In the end APC carried
: all the votes in the North. I am told Kabba only
: started campainging in the North for the SLPP after
: they lost in the first rounds, it was already too late
: - voters had made up their minds and they could
: already see victory within their grasps. And sadly
: enough, the people who let the party down are they
: ones who benefited from it the most.
: 10. Poor public relations - while the APC had a radio
: station dedicated to campaigning and a well crafted
: campaign strategy, the SLPP had none and yet they were
: the rulling party in power. While the APC had a well
: educated and eloquent Alpha Kanu as spokes person for
: the APC, the SLPP had victor Reider, a half baked man
: of questionalbe character who could hardly express
: himself properly let alone sell the paty.
: Campaign Slogans: The APC campaign slogan was positive
: change and the SLPP's was continuity. Frankly,
: everyone in the country including even the SLPP
: supporters would agree that no one wanted to continue
: with the Tejan Kabbah style of leadership in the
: country. Small as this may sound, but it did a lot of
: damage to the SLPP.
: I am no fan of the APC, neither the SLPP - they are
: all one and the same people. for example, JB Dauda and
: Filllie Faboe, Sanie Sesay and Abas Bundu who are now
: senior members of te SLPP were all one time members of
: the APC and the ekutay cabal.
: However, there is hope, hope is in the free press,
: the youth and the active civil society who will vote
: out any government who does not deliver and they have
: just sent a clear message to the SLPP. the free press
: and civil society will continue to publisize the ills
: of any govern ment either SLPP or the APC. There maybe
: hope also for Kono, the VP is a kono man, and the
: first lady also a kono- so maybe more attention will
: be paid to kono this time round.
: Finally, this is also a victory for SL and Africa - a
: peaceful change of government from a rullling party to
: the oposition, a rarity in Africa and a sure sign that
: peace and demoracy is slowly taking roots in S/Leone.
:
: Regena Juliana Kain
: B.Sc. Home Economics Education, M.Sc. Food Science<?xml:namespace
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Wow! Right on the money. You are atrue patriot. The SLPP party will never be able to fully reward you for your analysis. Hope they learn from it.