If I could vote in the July Elections…

I recently went to a dinner to hear more on the Charles Margai’s PMDC and very soon I will have an opportunity to go to an event hosting Ernest Bai Koroma of the APC. These two politicians represent the opposition to Solomon Berewa’s SLPP. And these three together are our choices for the July Elections…What a choice!
I would not vote for any of these candidates if I could vote. None of them have done or said anything that has convinced me to give them my support. I could not vote for any of them and be convinced that I had done the right thing. And I would be skeptical of anyone who could vote for any of them with a clear conscience.
I wish we had an Ellen Johnson Sirleaf type candidate to choose from. I am sure that when Liberians voted for her they had the peace of mind that she was the right person for the job. Heck I would have voted for her. She inspires me and I really believe that she has the people’s best interest at heart. I have confidence in Ellen. However, I cannot say the same for any of the Sierra Leonean politicians running for president. I don’t think any of them has what it is going to take to captivate the minds of our people to mobilize us all for change.
Sierra Leoneans need a president with a firm hand, integrity and a vision. A president who would be embarrassed by the lack of electricity, water, and unsanitary conditions that our people are living in. A president whose number one priority is the people’s welfare. A president who sees themselves as a servant of the people. A president for whom corruption is a disease that he/she will do everything to uproot from our society. A president who believes in transparency and will lead by example. A president who wont steal, waste or mismanage Sierra Leone’s money and resources. A president who would try to implement TRC recommendations because they understand that we need to take every measure possible to make sure that what happened to us during the civil war never happens again. A president who cares not only about his personal image but of that of the country. We need a afromodern president who understands that though capitalism and modernization are great tools for development, that we don’t want to create a small European country in Sierra Leone rather an African nation that places the needs and welfare of the collective and environment over that of the individual.
This being said, the choices for president are unimpressive. But are the people to not vote? If the people do not participate in the process then democracy is useless. Well, if I had to vote in July as many people living in Sierra Leone must, I would cast my vote for change which in this case means either the APC/PMDC. I don’t really have any strong convictions about the two candidates but I would vote for them because the status quo sucks!!!!!
The Kabbah/SLPP regime despite some positive efforts has made major blunders over the last 10 years. Voting for Solomon Berewa would be voting for a continuation of the Kabbah regime and we cannot award a government that has failed the people with a new term and 5 more years in office. The SLPP government must go and by all means necessary. The SLPP has refused and neglected to address the corruption and moral decay that plagues our country. If Sierra Leoneans are going to do anything in July, it should be to kick the SLPP out!!! Berewa should be ashamed of himself for even having the thought that he should be president. We deserve so much better than that. As for the PMDC and the APC, they are the same to me but either would be better than Berewa under the SLPP. And I say this not because I have any special interests in the PMDC/APC…the only interest I have is that of the Sierra Leonean people.