Constitutional Amendment Bill Saga: APC & SLPP — Who Is Fooling Who?
By Our News Desk Officer
The controversy surrounding Sierra Leone’s Constitutional Amendment Bill has intensified, with the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) and the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) trading serious allegations over alleged intimidation, bribery and political pressure on Members of Parliament.
Opposition Leader in Parliament, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, has accused the Government of attempting to bribe APC MPs to support the passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill.
Speaking during an interview on Liberty TV, Kargbo claimed that some APC MPs had openly confessed, in the presence of the party’s executive, that attempts were made by the Government to induce them to vote in favour of the proposed constitutional amendments.
“I was with the APC Party Executive when some APC MPs made a confession that the Government attempted to bribe them to support the passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill,” Kargbo said.
Kargbo also dismissed allegations that the APC had threatened to burn the house of APC MP Hon. Tamenko over his position on the Bill.
He maintained that the APC would never stoop to such a level, citing the example of Hon. Mohamed Bangura, whom he said had openly worked against the party on certain issues without the APC targeting his residence.
Kargbo further denied claims that the APC held a late-night meeting at which its MPs were allegedly threatened or instructed not to vote for the Constitutional Amendment Bill.
However, SLPP Publicity Secretary Moses Mambu strongly rejected the bribery allegations and said the ruling party has evidence suggesting that some APC MPs wanted to support the Bill but were allegedly intimidated by their own party.
Mambu specifically referred to Hon. Tamenko, claiming that the Tonkolili MP had indicated that he supported the Bill but was subsequently threatened by elements within the APC.
“There are members of the APC in Parliament who wanted to support this Bill, but because of threats, they decided to stay away,” Mambu said.
Responding directly to the allegation of bribery, Mambu argued that the SLPP Government had no need to bribe APC MPs to support the proposed amendments.
He further claimed that the APC’s decision to walk out of Parliament was motivated by its belief that it would lose the vote if the Bill proceeded to the stage where MPs would formally vote on it.
The competing claims have added another layer to the already heated debate over the Constitutional Amendment Bill, with both parties accusing each other of political manipulation and attempting to influence lawmakers.
The allegations of bribery and intimidation have not been independently established, but they have further deepened the political tensions surrounding the proposed constitutional reforms and raised questions about the pressures allegedly placed on MPs during the legislative process.
