Over Tripartite Agreement Ratification… SLPP Government Outsmarts APC — Augustine Sengbe Marah
By Kelvin Jay
Prominent legal practitioner and democracy advocate Augustine Sengbe Marah has stated that the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) government has politically outmaneuvered the All People’s Congress (APC) in the handling of the Tripartite Agreement.
Speaking during an interview on Liberty TV on Thursday, Marah reiterated his long-held position that the APC should have pushed for the ratification of the Tripartite Agreement in Parliament to ensure that the deal became legally binding on all parties involved.
According to Marah, failure by the opposition to insist on parliamentary ratification created a situation where the ruling government could move ahead with aspects of the agreement without being legally compelled to fully implement all provisions.
He argued that if the agreement had been formally ratified by Parliament, it would have carried the force of law and obligated both the government and the opposition to adhere strictly to its terms.
“The APC should have insisted that the Tripartite Agreement be ratified in Parliament,” Marah said. “If that had happened, it would have made the agreement legally binding and enforceable on all the parties.”
The legal luminary further noted that the ruling SLPP was fully aware that a parliamentary ratification process could pose political and procedural challenges, which is why, in his view, the government did not pursue such a route.
Marah maintained that by not pushing for legislative backing, the APC inadvertently allowed the SLPP government to gain the upper hand in the political process.
“The SLPP government has outsmarted the APC in legislating the Tripartite Agreement because they knew the opposition would not be able to secure the numbers required for such a process,” he explained.
He emphasized that in democratic governance, formal legal frameworks are crucial in ensuring accountability and compliance, particularly when agreements involve critical national political actors.
Marah’s comments add to the ongoing national debate surrounding the implementation and legal standing of the Tripartite Agreement, which was reached as part of efforts to address political tensions following Sierra Leone’s 2023 elections.
He concluded by stressing that future political agreements of such national significance should be anchored in law to prevent ambiguity and guarantee full compliance by all stakeholders.
