Freetown — The Sierra Leone People's Party, which was formed in 1951 under the auspices of the most revered medical doctor, Sir Augustus Strieby Margai, gained independence for Sierra Leone from British colonialism in 1961. Sir Milton became active in politics immediately after the Second World War when he joined the Sierra Leone Organization Society. His reign has been described as the golden age of Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone's woes started when Lawyer Sir Albert Margai succeeded his brother, Dr. Sir Milton Margai in 1964, which saw the demise of the SLPP in 1967.

For 29 years the SLPP wallowed in the political wilderness. Its members started to change political colours from green to blue, to red, to yellow, and back to green like chameleons to regain the SLPP'S Miltonic glory.

The 1996 general elections overseen by the NPRC military junta saw Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabba, a legal luminary who had served the United Nations for about two decades, as leader of SLPP and head of state of the republic of Sierra Leone.

With corruption and " I don't care attitude" still rife in the Sierra Leone society, there are two regrettable mistakes that would haunt the SLPP for years committed by two legal luminaries, Pa Kabba and Solomon Berewa, heading the SLPP and the Nation.

It was Pa Kabba as president and Solomon Berewa as Attorney General and Minister of Justice who requested the United Nations to institute the Special Court for Sierra Leone to try those who committed atrocities and crimes against humanity during the RUF/AFRC massacre against Sierra Leoneans.

The government of the United States of America as one of the financiers for the Special Court clearly indicated that none of its citizens would face the Court either as victims, witnesses or perpetrators.

It was the prerogative of Pa Kabba as president of Sierra Leone and host for the Special Court, and Solomon Berewa as Attorney General and Minister of Justice to spell out their own interest for all those who fought to restore the SLPP government to be excluded from the trials. The United Nations excluded Ecomog (Economic Community Monitoring Group) from the trials.

It is a thought provoking debate that will last decades for two legal luminaries to sign a document that landed their own SLPP kith and kin (Hinga Norman, Allieu Kondowa and Moinina Fofanah) in jail.

It is a bitter lesson to be noted by every Sierra Leonean that even when your neighbour's house is in danger, you would sit back and watch. Because trying to save him or her would land you in jail.

Regrettably, the incarceration of Norman and his colleagues is going to cost the SLPP dearly its Mende and civil defense forces' vote in the 2007 general elections!

Hinga Norman has named Pa Kabba as a potential witness in his Special Court trial. Lawyer Carew as Attorney General and Minister of Justice is feigning defense on behalf of the Pa even when the Pa himself has on many occasions stated that no body is above the Special Court. Why then is the Pa shying away from the Special Court he so requested for?

Just like running from one's evil deeds, one regrettably mistakenly follows another to the detriment of the SLPP.

I wonder if the Pa and his vice Solo B. were aware of the 1991 constitution, which states that no member in government service will run for an office in the party without resigning his government post a year prior to the party's convention.

Hinga Norman (Norma in Mende stands for stubbornness, pressing or agitating for something) is still hell bent that Solo B. and members of the SLPP conclave violated the SLPP constitution to vote in Solo B. as party leader while he was and still is the vice president of the republic of Sierra Leone.

How are these two legal luminaries (Pa Kabba and Solo B.) going to convince Sierra Leoneans to vote for CONTINUITY. A continued bastardization of the constitution? A continued ungratefulness to members of the party who sacrificed their lives, energy, money and time for the party's interest? A continued calculated humiliation of potential party candidates for the presidency?

Sierra Leoneans need CHANGE to uphold the tenets of their party and the Nation's constitutions.

Pa Kabba must face the Special Court he created. A cook must taste his food! Solo B. must respect the SLPP constitution for him to become president.

When Napoleon and Squealer in George Orwell's magnu opus ANIMAL FARM were constantly bastardizing the constitution, it came to a boiling point that even Benjamin the donkey could not stand it any more when a clause was added to the seventh commandment overnight which read " All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others". There was huffing and sniffing in Animal kingdom!

Is that the scenario we are facing in Sierra Leone? It is the moral duty of lawyers, especially political lawyers, to interpret the constitution, not to misinterpret it for their morbid interest. How long sweet mother Salone?