True democracy is but consultative

Thank God! The fuss over the inevitable flaws of the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) system in Sierra Leone came and went peacefully.

Then there was clamour over nomination fees…, which was also overcome with relative ease.

Like all other obstacles faced in the course of preparations for the November 17 polls, those were tough but, like always, the end was achieved.

Sierra Leone`s National Electoral Commission

The hope is been that Sierra Leone has learned from those experiences.

Let`s take the nomination fee for example.

Overnight prospective politicians woke up to realise that the National Electoral Commission had increased, in some cases more than five folds, the fees required to contest for various positions.

Like in almost every subject of discussion in this country, there were two arguable sides to the debate. Whether genuine or not, both sides put forward understandable points.

But also like always, there was this third party voice that tended to want to portray the voice of wisdom. In some ways it wanted to remain on the fence, while in real fact it had a stronger view but only chose to deceive itself by tacitly fuelling confrontation.

Hopefully, such people have learned their lesson, that democracy should be consultative, and that choices can`t be imposed.

If the National Electoral Commission (NEC) had properly consulted with the relevant stakeholders we could have saved time, and avoided the unsavoury exchanges during the cause of the debate over whether the electoral body was right to increase the fees or not.

Having noted these, let me say credit must be given to the incumbent president, Ernest Bai Koroma, for demonstrating true leadership by agreeing to subsidize the fees.

It takes real leadership to do what he did.

And for the opposition, they just confirmed once again what very much makes me feel proud about this country`s politics – that important role the opposition plays which not only seeks to consolidate democracy but also authenticate it.

And lest I forget, one advice! Existing dispute resolution mechanisms like the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), which I understand played a critical role in resolving those impasses, need to adopt more proactive stance.