Sierra Leone: An Election 30 Years in the Making

Local elections aren't a rarity, some would claim. But, they are if you live in Sierra Leone and have not had a say about local councillors in three decades. That the elections are happening is the good news. The bad news is that the contest is not going to be a pretty one. Osman Yansaneh, secretary general of the opposition All Peoples Congress (APC), has already alleged "gross interference of (tribal) 'chiefs' in the electoral process in favour of the ruling SLPP (Sierra Leone Peoples Party)." Of the 17 registered political parties in the country, only four are taking part in the elections - the others having run out of steam after the last general election in May 2002.