The word is CAMPAIGN!

It is no longer news that the National Electoral Commission (NEC) has announced the commencement date for the forthcoming general elections campaigns. 

It starts on the 17^th October 2012 (two weeks from now) and ends on the 15^th November 2012. As the various political parties gear up to commence campaigns across the country, nominations for the political leaders are already underway.

Before going into the details of this piece, let us first and foremost try to define the ward campaign. Also, this piece will attempt to highlight the overall goal of politicians.

A campaign is a planned set of actions aimed at achieving a particular result, while the overall objective of politicians, especially in an election, is to rise to the citadel of power. 

Therefore, the planned set of actions that are expected to be undertaken or implemented by politicians should be in line with civilization, legality and peace. The campaigns are meant for politicians to peacefully sell themselves and their parties to the voters. What the politicians should be focused on is to carefully explain their ideologies and manifestoes to the electorates. 

This could be done through town hall meetings, peaceful rallies, radio and television programs, house to house meetings, village to village, town to town, city to city, ward to ward, district to district, constituency to constituency, and region to region meetings. 

Campaigns can also be done by printing and distributing, and pasting flyers and wall bills. There are several other civilize and acceptable ways to undertake political campaigns, and there is no doubt that the politicians and most of their supporters are abreast with those techniques.

That established, it is important for politicians and their supporters to know that what commences in Sierra Leone two weeks from now, according to the activity calendar of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) is CAMPAIGN, and nothing else.

All stakeholders are expected to conform to the dictates of acceptable campaigns so that the elections will come go and leave us in one piece. It is very important for all and sundry to realize that elections would be held on a single day (November 17 2012 in this case) and that there is life for the country and people after November 17. 

The Election Day is only meant for the exercise of once franchise. It is supposed to serve as the day when people go to the polls to decide on the leaders for the next five years. It should serve as the day when Sierra Leoneans decide to choose a progressive or retrogressive president. It should serve as the day when Sierra Leoneans decide the direction of the country for the next five years. The aforementioned is very simple to understand as drinking water.

If all what has been said above are the motives of campaign and voting, do we need to engage ourselves in violence acts? Do we need to hate one another? Do we need to fan the flames of tribal and regional sentiments? Is there a need to attack the personalities of our opponents, especially so if there personal life has nothing to do with his/her leadership character? Do we need to give drugs to the youths? Do we need to preach hate messages against our fellow Sierra Leoneans? The answers to all of the aforementioned are big NOs. This is because we all share the same nationality (meaning that we are all brothers and sisters) and we will remain Sierra Leoneans even after the elections would have long ended.

It is very much important for Sierra Leoneans not to allow elections or political orientation to divide them. Sierra Leone will only develop if the people are united and determined to work towards a single goal.

Each and every Sierra Leonean has the right to belong to any political party of his/her choice as dictated by democratic principles; but that does not in any way mean that we are different people. All of us are representing the green, white and blue. Let us maintain the values of unity, freedom and justice.

In summary, the word is CAMPAIGN. Use it to ascend to power without destroying your fellow country man. Tell the people what you have done and what you intend to do for them. Desist from blackmail and personality attacks; concentrate on the issues; avoid intimidation and violence. If politicians heed to the aforementioned, they will not face the struggle of trying to unite their people after elections. They will inherit a peaceful country conducive to implement developmental project. But in an instance where the politicians think the only way to attain power is to perpetrate violence and preach hate messages, they should be ready to inherit a doomed nation.

With Abdul Fonti