Posted by Thomas Boytee George on October 20, 2007 at 03:47:13:
In Reply to: Re: True SLPP supporter posted by Tom Bangu on October 19, 2007 at 07:42:48:
This is really a breath of fresh Air.
This analysis comes close to the truth.
In my book, New S.L.P.P.A program for Reform. I addressed most of these issues.Our Party must boldly address ALL, of these concerns.
Indeed. we have an uphill battle.
BOYTEE
: : 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.