A few weeks before the elections the big debate was that Kono was a swing district and the outcome of its vote would determine who wins the Presidential elections.
Why Swing?
This was based on the fact that in 2007 Kono voted for the SLPP’s Solomon Berewa (70,798) against the APC’s Ernest baiKoroma (42,556) in the first round of Presidential elections. Again during the runoff in a straight race between Berewa and Koroma in the second round of polls, in 2007, Berewa (SLPP) polled 74,458 as against Koroma’s (APC) 52,908.
Tables
Kono is regarded as a swing district because over the years its vote has been like a pendulum swinging from the APC to the SLPP and vice versa. This can be seen in the 2008 Local Government Electionswhen the SLPP majority votes in the 2007 presidential elections suddenly swung over to the APC, with the APC winning the Koidu/New Sembehun City Council Mayorship along with all 15 Councillors; and the Chairmanship of the Kono District Council along with majority 22 councillors with the SLPP winning only one Councillor position and an independent candidate also winning one councillor seat.
This clear shift in the Kono vote from SLPP in 2007 to APC in 2008 was explained in an interview conducted just before the 2012 elections by the Secretary General of the SLPP in Kono districtAiah Prince KonnohFomba.
The SLPP view
He said, “The reason was very very simple. You know in the last elections as you said we had 7 parliamentary seats, Kono voted enmasse for the SLPP. But fortunately and coincidentally when our brother the Vice President Chief AlhajiSamsumana emerged as the Vice President the authorities of Kono used that as a criterion. They went the length and breadth of this district and talked to the people of Kono for all of them to vote for the APC for the council seats, with the dream, with the vision that with that position they can transform Kono.”
The APC view
On the other hand AiahKontandeySongu-Mbriwa Chairman of the 5-man committee of APC in Kono District dismissed the notion that Kono was a swing district.
Again in an interview conducted just before the November elections SonguMbriwa said people who say Kono is a swing district “don’t understand the Kono politics, they don’t understand the Kono issues, they don’t understand the Kono political landscape.”
Giving the historical perspective SonguMbriwadisclosed“Since time immemorial Kono has always been anti SLPP. The first time voting started in this country in 1957 the Kono Progressive Movement (KPM) challenged the SLPP and the Kono Progressive Movement won the 2 seats then in Kono North and Kono South. SLPP did not win. They didn’t even get 40% of the votes that was 1957. In 1962 there was a second general elections in Sierra Leone and the SLPP under the leadership of the late Sir Milton poured in so much money, so much resources to Kono, with the support of the then SLST. But yet still the Kono people voted against SLPP and the SLPIM in alliance with the APC won all the 4 seats. Kono North was won by the late GandiCapio; Kono West the late GW Mani; Kono East and Kono South by SL Matturi.” In his view Kono would vote APC in the 2012 elections.
Senior lecturer in the political science department at Fourah bay University Dr Charles Sylver in his expert analysis explained “When we put it into historical perspective – not for the sake of historical curiosity – it has always been like that.”
“The Kono’s even on the eve of independence, they have always been conscious of the fact that they needed to go the extra mile inorder for them to be recognised as a force in this country. But, because when it comes to numbers, we keep saying politics is about numbers, they do not have that number really to make the impact all on their own. So they will always side with the ruling party or the party they consider to have the greatest chances of winning an election.”
“In 1996 it was obvious that (Pres. Ahmad Tejan) Kabbah was going to win, they were with the SLPP. In 2002, the writing was again on the wall; they joined the SLPP.”
“In 2007 they were also sure – some opinion brokers within the Kono community were of the view that Berewa was going to win. When we take into cognisance this idea or the notion of incumbency, and the like, so this was why Berewa or the SLPP was able to win significant votes at both parliamentary and presidential level.”
“Come 2012, well a host of developments have taken place. In the first instance, the APC is in power, the Vice President is coming from that district (Kono), the first lady from that district (Kono) the second lady from that district (Kono) so taking all of those into account, and also considering the fact – that historical aspect, somebody looking forward to an opportunity to project his or her image, will always seize those opportunities.”
“So that is why they (Kono) keep swinging. They would always prefer to be with the winning team, irrespective of all other considerations. That is the first criteria they look forward to – the winning team. Because through the winning team, they can ride on that success to project themselves, as it is happening now.”
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