In his letter to the outward-bound President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association President, Madam Edinia Swallow Sandi, Ronald Gidwani Esq, like many others in the Bar fraternity, has condemned the Sierra Leone Bar Association election conducted by Francis Ben Kaifalla Esq, the Anti-Corruption Commissioner on 18th May 2024, as ‘’fraudulent and sham elections ‘’ whilst expressing his ‘’profound dismay and outright adherence and condemnation of the blatant rigging of elections of officers of the Executive of the SLBA on the 18th Day of May, 2024.’’
‘’It was crystal clear that a certain group of persons, abetted by your executive, was bent on determining the outcome of the elections irrespective of the desires or yearnings of the majority,’’ Gidwani asserted. Gidwani furthered: ‘’It is very clear today that my greatest fear was demonstrated by only a few who thought that manipulating the system to get their candidates elected was the only way to hijack the Bar Association with all of us as hostages on-board’’ This suggests that the elections were marred with machinations and manipulations in contravention of democratic and electoral accountability which is germane to making an executive legitimate.
Be it what it may, Gidwani has described the elections as ‘fraudulent, shameful, and a sham, for which he called for nullifying the Bar elections of 18th May 2024 in Kenema. He described the conduct of the elections as lacking candour, decency, decorum and dignity; it was characterised by blatant disregard for due process and daylight robbery. Gidwani, therefore, beseeched the outgoing President to show character and convene lawyers to another meeting, where they could make use of the usual stipulated, dignified and dignifying procedures and processes to elect officers who shall be in charge of the Association, other than the way it was held with gross disrespect for due process, time and agenda shifting, the problem of verified voters list, disenfranchisement of qualified voters and cherry-picking the issuing of ballot papers among others.
Given the above, below is the full letter written by Ronald Gidwani Esq to Madam Edinia Swallow Sandi, outgoing President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA)
SEE LETTER BELOW…
