By Ilyasa Baa
The current Predicament in the All People’s Congress Party (APC) has been attributed to the failure of the country to amend the 1991 Constitution which was advised by Justice Cowan. Under Ernest Bai Koroma era, the country spent billions of Leones for the Constitutional Review process, but the recommendations therein, have not been passed into law.
According to former Member of Parliament representing the APC, Sirajin Munirr Rollings Kamara, he said that President Bio would not have succeeded in State Capture and getting his second term had the APC done the needful in terms of reviewing the 1991 Constitution. He said the current constitution gives the President more powers to get along with what he wants to do. According to him, the appointment of strategic positions like the Chief Justice and Chief Electoral Commissioner should not be done by the President so that at the end of the day, elections will be conducted in free, fair and transparent atmosphere and at the same time, there will be public trust and Confidence in the Judiciary where any aggrieved political party will seek redress if they are not satisfied with the outcome of the elections.
He said the APC has missed its chance and therefore calling on the party to see reason to send its elected MPs to Parliament so that they will push for the amendment of the constitution, and prepare them to take power in 2028.
Following the decision of another APC MPs to take his seat in Parliament, Sirajin described the decision as a step in the right direction and called on the remaining MPs to take their seats in the well of the House.
Sirajin Rollings Kamara made this clarion call after successfully escorting Hon. Alfred Thompson to Parliament on Monday to subscribe to his oath of office.
Speaking to this medium, Sirajin said APC should play its role as an opposition party until 2028 when the country will again take to the polls. “We have to come back strong, so let us concentrate on how to make the lives of our people better”, he admonished his party members.He noted that boycotting is not the solution to the current problem of the party.
He recounted when he and nine other MPs were removed from Parliament following the 2018 election, and cited that other MPs would have wanted to take similar action, but said later they resolved to take their seats citing excuses not to lose their seats in Parliament at that time.
He called on the APC to seat and talk with President Bio to iron out the current political deadlock for the good of the country, noting that if the President fails it will affect the nation considerably.
He also lauded the appointment of Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh to lead the reconciliation drive as a step in the right direction, which he said, the nation needs after a rocky electioneering process.
