-Says the process violated the party’s constitution
November 1, 2017 By Ishmael Sallieu Koroma
Sole Aggrieved: Dr. Vandi Konneh believes the process of selection was flawed
Former aspirant for the Secretary-General position of the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) party, Dr. Vandi Konneh, has contended that the process of choosing the party’s national officers was in violation of the party’s constitution.
Dr. Konneh was hosted at Radio Democracy’s Good Morning Salone Programme where he noted that the party’s Chairman and Leader, President Ernest Bai Koroma, had fervently promised the party that he would work within the framework of the party’s constitution, but deliberately failed to do as promised.
“From the constituency level, elections should have taken place but that didn’t happen. Even when we were in Makeni the national officers were not elected as per the process of the party’s constitution,” he said.
He stated that some national party officers are in contravention of the party’s 1995 constitution which explicitly states that it is unlawful for anyone to carry a title without being elected for that position.
“Frank Kargbo, Alpha Khan and Musa Tarawallie are outgone national executives of the party as far I am concerned because they were not elected during the Makeni convention,” he maintained.
Dr. Konneh urged the party to do a re-run of the national officers’ election.
Responding, Secretary-General of the party, Ambassador Osman Foday Yansaneh, said the party’s process of selecting national officers was done in line with the national constitution and by extension the APC constitution and other legal instruments.
“Relating to the convention, the APC party made certain rules and regulations in accordance with the provisions of their constitution, section 6.9.2 (VIII) says the National Advisory Committee (NAC) shall make rules and procedures for the conference subject to the ratification of the National Delegates’ Conference,” he said.
The APC scribe revealed that on 1st June, 2017 the National Delegates’ Conference made certain rules which they referred to in the extra-ordinary Gazette volume CXLVII No.48 published on 8th August, 2017 where, according to him, it was spelt out that NAC was empowered to put in place mechanisms to select, elect and endorse individuals for any position.
He stated that the constitution will not stand dormant and stagnant because it is dynamic.
“The gazette said the presidential candidates shall be selected and running mate endorsed, while the national officers, instead of elected, according to Gazette should be selected,” he explained.
The APC scribe further said that everything that happened in Makeni was done within the ambit of law and the APC constitution, adding that the Gazette itself is one of the instruments of law that was publicised in the media.
“Ignorance of the law is no excuse. If you are in a party you should follow each and every happening in the party by paying attention,” he said, disclosing that Dr. Konneh even congratulated him on the day he was selected as Secretary -general of the party.
Meanwhile, the ruling party scribe revealed that they have resolved that Dr. Konneh is a member of the party and would remain to be a member.