Lawyer Rashid Dumbuya, Esq says the Tripartite Term of Reference (TOR) just signed by the Government of Sierra Leone and All People’s Congress (APC), the main opposition, is not a joke.

He said the TOR has the tendency and intention for legal elections to be conducted in Sierra Leone.

According to the erudite lawyer the agreement was signed by both parties and the signing goes beyond an electoral review.

Dumbuya Esq said if he was in governance, he would not sing the latest agreement simply because the ruling party had never agreed on implementing the country’s electoral laws or followed due process during the elections in June 2023.

“The TOR has an intention to create room for legal elections,” he said.

He described the TOR as a very dangerous and draconian, saying it is more dangerous to pre-empt the outcome of the Tripartite Committee by anyone.

“One of the mandates of the TOR, the committee says, if, during the cause of examination, the committee finds certain persons, group or institutions to have  undermined democratic elections in Sierra Leone including 2023, 2018, 2012 and 2007 elections, the committee will recommend an appropriate action to the president,” lawyer Dumbuya reads from a document.

Rashid Dumbuya said that it goes beyond review.

“It is not the way they are saying as it will hunt people who bear the greatest of responsibility in election.

“I have read the agreement from legal perspective,” he said.

Lawyer Rashid Dumbuya quoted from TOR under the scope of reference which reads as, “The committee has the power to examine 2023 elections result announced by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL/ NEC) and made decision on it.”

He emphasized that it is more of a review adding that sometimes one has to be courteous and goes beyond what he/she thinks.

He was admonishing that no one should pre-empt the outcome of the Tripartite Committee and assures that anyone who pre-empts its outcome may be wrong.

He encouraged Sierra Leoneans to wait for the review and its recommendations to come out.

What is more scaring about the agreement, he said, “it is not about Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and All People’s Congress (APC), but it involves international community commonwealth, ECOWAS, UK, and the US embassy in Sierra Leone that is pouring resources in the process to ensure transparency.

“That made it scaring,” he stressed. “I was one of the civil society activists that the committee called and asked to make legal changes.

“I then asked the committee if the report will be concluded by 19th June, 2024 as planned?”

Lawyer Rashid said he was told, conclusively, that the committee has assured of the report to be out on 19th June, 2024.

The lawyer informed the committee that the public are eagerly waiting for the report to be made public.

“When I asked the question, the committee was busy taking notes and both parties involved were arguing and making counter claims on the issue.”