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FM AMEMBASSY FREETOWN
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INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0174
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RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 FREETOWN 000554 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SL
SUBJECT: THE BEGINNING OF THE LONG GOODBYE: KABBAH OPENS 
HIS LAST PARLIAMENT 
 
REF: FREETOWN 499 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1.(SBU) An emotional President Kabbah opened Sierra Leone's 
Parliament for the last time before stepping down next May. 
In a two-hour address he emphasized democratic values and 
took credit for leading Sierra Leone from the abyss of civil 
war.  Looking to the 2007 presidential and parliamentary 
elections, he cited electoral reforms, called for political 
civility, and encouraged women to be candidates, but did not 
announce election dates.  He listed "enormous challenges" 
still facing Sierra Leone: sustaining peace for development; 
improving the national security environment; stabilizing the 
macroeconomic environment; upholding participatory democracy 
and the rule of law; and building an educated, healthy 
population.  Of particular concern ahead of the elections, he 
said, is the "current state of lawlessness in the country," a 
reference to recent isolated but ominous violence.  U.S. 
references in the speech included a James Madison quote 
urging citizens not to abuse liberty; an appreciation of 
President Bush's few cabinet changes to justify Kabbah's 
loyalty to his appointees; and citation of U.S. support for 
Sierra Leone "as the most suitable candidate for a coastal 
logistical depot for ECOWAS and hopefully for an African 
Standby Force" to illustrate his success in consolidating 
peace.  Kabbah thanked international development partners, 
and asked for more help "to reduce our dependence on them." 
Critics subsequently reproved Kabbah for embellishing the 
state of the nation and omitting or glossing over critical 
issues.  Between now and next May, when Kabbah will give 
Parliament a more comprehensive account of his 
accomplishments, we can expect more nostalgic farewells 
intertwined with political rhetoric.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------- 
Democratic Leadership 
--------------------- 
 
2.(U) President Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah opened Sierra 
Leone's Parliament on June 23, 2006, for the last time since 
his first election in 1996.  Parliament was packed with 
legislators, cabinet ministers, supreme court justices, 
senior military and police officers, diplomats, and the media 
as Kabbah spoke emotionally for two hours about his 
accomplishments of the past decade.  He reaffirmed that he 
will step down in May, 2007, because he was "sworn to protect 
and defend this Constitution, which provides for two five 
year term limits."  (Note:  Kabbah will actually be in office 
for 11 years because his reelection was not until 2002 due to 
the civil war. End Note.) 
 
 
3.(U) Throughout the speech Kabbah repeatedly emphasized 
democratic values, saying in various ways that "The 
Government of Sierra Leone must be a people's Government, 
deriving legitimacy from the people, serving them in an 
accountable manner and not afraid to be open to them."  In 
describing himself, Kabbah claimed to have "lead our country 
diligently and justly, with commitment and with courage.  I 
have ensured the country remains peaceful and united, living 
amicably with our neighbors .... I have worked hard and 
innovatively ... to create the right domestic and 
international environment for economic take-off, with 
economic growth rates that can empower us to overcome 
degrading poverty."  Commenting on his own leadership style, 
Kabbah observed, "Once elected to power you can either govern 
or lead.  I prefer to lead.... I believe earnestly that it is 
the people's inalienable right to be convinced about the 
government's policies and and agenda.  And I believe that 
such a right cannot be fully enjoyed if the government is not 
fully accountable, to explain to the people what it is doing 
with the people's taxes, and in the people's name." 
 
--------------- 
Elections Ahead 
--------------- 
 
4.(U) With presidential and parliamentary elections looming 
in 2007, Kabbah emphasized improvements conducive to credible 
elections.  He took legitimate credit for the December 2004 
census that "will support Sierra Leone's first post-conflict 
constituency-based elections, thereby enhancing a free, fair 
 
FREETOWN 00000554  002 OF 005 
 
 
and peaceful electoral process that will further consolidate 
our democracy."  He highlighted some conditions that will 
contribute to credible elections including the development of 
an electoral code of conduct, preparation of a National 
Permanent Voters Register, transparent ballot boxes with 
ballot-counting at each polling station, and media expansion 
such as the growth of newspapers from 14 in 1996 to 49 today 
and the presence of 39 radio stations.  He made a specific 
appeal for "women to come out and contest for seats and other 
positions at the forthcoming General Elections." 
 
5.(U) Kabbah called for greater political civility. "I would 
urge opposition political parties to be more proactive and 
innovative, rather than ... nitpicking on what the SLPP 
Government says or does."  Although the growth of political 
parties to 28 should "signify a strengthening of democratic 
discourse," Kabbah continued, "I am not sure this is really 
happening.  But, obviously, this increase in numbers 
represents expanded political freedom, a positive thing in 
its own right."  Regarding Sierra Leone's frequently 
inaccurate and notoriously opinionated press, Kabbah called 
on journalists to "abide by professional ethics, and treat 
all people and parties fairly" as the country heads for 
elections. 
 
6.(U) Kabbah observed that "the Multi-party political system 
is now better understood, and is gaining strength" in Sierra 
Leone.  He took credit for elections "since 1996, all of 
which were peaceful, free and fair, as attested by comments 
of representatives of the reputable Carter Center. ... Day 
after day, election after election, we have continued to use 
our experience and that of others to improve our system.  We 
are moving forward." 
 
7.(SBU) Comment: There have only been two elections since 
1996: the 2002 presidential/parliamentary election and the 
2004 local electionQth were conducted peacefully with 
assistance from UN peacekeepers, now departed.  Both 
elections were considered free and fair, but were 
subsequently found to be fraught with fraud by all political 
parties that analysts jjudged did not significantly change 
the outcomes.  Current preparations, per reftel, give hope 
that fraud can be prevented in 2007.  Observers hoped that 
Kabbah would announce a date for the 2007 elections, and were 
disappointed when he only commited to leaving office in May. 
End Comment. 
 
-------------- 
From the Abyss 
-------------- 
 
8.(U) Kabbah billed his speech as concentrating on "some of 
the major achievements of my administration over the past 10 
years," a period marked by a brutal, destructive civil war 
that officially ended in January 2002.  Citing his first-hand 
experience of post-war Europe and the benefits of the 
Marshall Plan, Kabbah said that his performance should not be 
compared to what happended "in another distant country," but 
by comparing the situation in Sierra in 1996 with "what 
prevails today, looked at objectively and fairly."  Sierra 
Leone, he suggested, would be much more developed today if 
the resources and energy used for post-war reconstruction 
could have been used for "building on what existed rather 
than remedying or rehabilitating what was destroyed."  Kabbah 
took particular pride in having passed through Parliament 95 
laws, "to strengthen good governance, to facilitate economic, 
political and social reforms.... We have made substantial 
progress even as I concede that much more remains to be done." 
 
9.(U) Kabbah asked observers to recognize realistically that 
"our own war ended only four years ago."  In that time, he 
had restored state authority throughout the country; 
reestablished elected city, town, and district councils; 
restored local administrative structures, meaning the 
"respect and honor" of traditional Paramount Chiefs; 
resettled 2 million internally displaced people and 
repatriated 200,000 refugees; reintegrated 72,500 
ex-combatants; improved human rights; expanded public health 
care; introuduced free primary education and increased the 
numbers of girls in school; reconstructed the economy with 
with World Bank, IMF, UK, and EU budgetary support that has 
resulted in 7.3% GDP growth, "low inflation" of 13.5%, and 
exchange rate stability.  Kabbah took credit for keeping "the 
public service afloat by paying salaries of public officers, 
the forces, teachers and nurses on a regular basis," 
 
FREETOWN 00000554  003 OF 005 
 
 
preventing "queuing for basic commodities such as fuel and 
rice," and ensuring that the banks have cash "through serious 
economic and fiscal management." 
 
10.(SBU) Kabbah proclaimed that "the war on poverty is being 
fought on all fronts and it is a success story on all those 
fronts."  Sierra Leone has been last or next to last 
worldwide for the past decade in the UNDP's Human Development 
Index.  Kabbah tried to deflect criticism by noting that 
first ranked as the least developed country by the UN already 
in 1991, "an event which occurred much earlier than 1996, 
when I took up office as President." 
 
11.(U) Kabaah dwelled on progress in education and health, 
citing the free primary school education, increasing numbers 
of girls in school, assistance with examination fees, 
grants-in-aid to university students, expansion of community 
health centers, and reconstruction of hospitals.  He cited 
the work of the National Commission for Social Action (NACSA) 
and the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) 
as examples of the social safety net that he is building for 
the country.  He also singled out his food security program 
that has promised that no Sierra Leonean will go to bed 
hungry by 2007.  He said that an independent review of the 
Food Security Project reported that 69% of the objective has 
been achieved, and stated that only those "who want to do no 
work" will be hungry next year. 
 
---------------- 
Challenges Ahead 
---------------- 
 
12.(U) Kabbah appealed for public patience with the often 
slow pace of progress. "Some of the benefits resulting from 
the changes we have introduced will fructify many years after 
I leave office ....  What I am asking ... is to allow time 
for these changes to be embedded in our systems and culture 
for them to reach the point where it is impossible to derail 
them and bring us back to the situation we were in not too 
long ago." 
 
13.(U) Kabbah listed five "enormous challenges" remaining for 
Sierra Leone's post-war reconstruction.  The first was 
continued work toward sustainable peace as a prerequisite for 
economic development.  The second was an "effective security 
environment" with emphasis on training and upgrading the 
police and army as a first step.  Elsewhere in the speech he 
declared that "cooperation among the security forces is 
exemplary," but he recognized clearly that their capabilities 
are limited.  Kabbah also appealed to communities as "key 
stakeholders" to work for peace and security in their 
locales.  A "stable macroeconomic environment" was Kabbah's 
third remaining challenge with emphasis not only on GDP 
growth, but with emphasis on growth that results "in job 
creation, improved education and health delivery services, 
adequate housing, sustainable energy supply and adequate 
socio-economic infrastructure." 
 
14.(U) The fourth challenge was "upholding and promoting 
participatory democracy and the rule of law."  Kabbah 
observed that "the Sierra Leone Civil War could significantly 
be attributable to the mauling of democratic institutions and 
processes as well as the marginalization of the people for a 
prolonged period."  He cited overly centralized governance as 
a "manifestation of bad governance," and emphasized that "the 
benefits of participatory governance are enormous and must be 
pursued at all cost."  This was an oblique reference to his 
own decentralization policies that must be sustained to 
succeed. 
 
15.(U) Kabbah's final challenge was "building "a solidly 
educated and healthy population."  Interestingly, he cited 
education and health as both accomplishments and challenges. 
"An uneducated nation, is at best a lost nation," he said, 
"at worst a dead nation."  Calling health "equally critical," 
he said that together education and health "will provide a 
productive and vibrant labor force" that will drive the 
economy. 
 
16.(U) A separate challenge that Kabbah noted in the speech 
was the need to manage public expectations that he implicitly 
sees as unrealistic.  Sierra Leoneans are cynical about 
government promises and performance, a concern that was 
reflected in Kabbah's comment that "Attitudes of Sierra 
Leoneans must also shift towards the positive from the 
 
FREETOWN 00000554  004 OF 005 
 
 
overtly negative." 
 
------------- 
Dangers Ahead 
------------- 
 
17.(SBU) Kabbah's concern that recent isolated violent 
incidents throughout the country could lead to wider and 
perhaps orchestrated violence ahead of the 2007 elections now 
that UN peacekeepers have left the country led to his 
pronouncement that "Government is mobilizing the necessary 
resources to curb the current spate of lawlessness in the 
country.  We are warning those who engage in lawless 
activities that the era of impunity is over and that we are 
determined to firmly restore law and order ... and maintain a 
peaceful, orderly and progressive nation." 
 
18.(U) Kabbah's view that the root cause of the violence is 
indiscipline, as stated in a recent presidential press 
release, was reflected in his speech when he said, "It is not 
enough to be a free country; the citizens must also enjoy 
freedom within the limits of the Constitution and our laws." 
He used the United States, which he described as "a beacon of 
freedom and human rights," to justify his point by quoting 
President James Madison as having said, "Liberty may be 
endangered by the abuses of liberty as well as by the abuses 
of power."  Kabbah concluded, "So let us not ignore the 
potential dangers posed by those who are inclined to abuse 
their liberty." 
 
------------------------------------ 
American References and Appreciation 
------------------------------------ 
 
19.(U) The U.S. was the only country to which Kabbah referred 
in his speech, and he did so several times.  In addition to 
quoting President Madison, he used President George W. Bush 
to address criticism that he is too tolerant of 
underperforming appointees.  Saying that officials need time 
on the job to create solutions to challenges, he observed, 
"This may well explain why apart from resignations, the 
current United States President, for example, has carried out 
no major reshuffle since becoming President."  In another 
self-serving comment concerning security reform, Kabbah said, 
"In a special study conducted by the United States and 
ECOWAS, Sierra Leone emerged as the most suitable candidate 
for a coastal logistical depot for ECOWAS and hopefully for 
an African Standby Force." 
 
20.(U) Kabbah appreciated Sierra Leone's international 
donors, although he did not specifically cite the U.S.  "In a 
special way," he said, "I want to thank our development 
partners ... for their understanding, coooperation, and 
commitment to the cause of development in Sierra Leone. ... I 
ask for their understanding when I do not mention them by 
name.  What I ask for is that each one ... accepts the words 
of sincere gratitude, and my request that they continue 
supporting the next government, especially in helping us 
gradually build the capacity to reduce our dependence on 
them." 
 
------------------------- 
Critics Assess The Speech 
------------------------- 
 
21.(SBU) Political opponents and some newspaper commentators 
criticized Kabbah's speech for distorting, glossing over, or 
omitting vital issues.  Many found his comments on democracy 
disingenuous, feeling that Kabbah and his SLPP have ridden 
roughshod over the opposition and were responsible for 
electoral manipulation and fraud in the 2002 and 2004 
elections. Likewise, they see SLPP intolerance of opposition 
parties in SLPP strongholds as the primary source of current 
political incivility and potential violence.  While several 
shared Kabbah's concern about lawlessness, they saw the 
problem not as abuse of liberty, but as failure to address 
adequately the root causes of the civil war. 
 
22.(SBU) The critics found Kabbah to be out of touch with the 
71% of Sierra Leoneans who live in poverty.  Claims of 
economic progress have not been matched by improvements in 
their quality of life.  Critics noted that since the end of 
the war four years ago, Freetown dwellers have have suffered 
high unemployment, no electricity, erratic water supply, 
rising fuel and transport prices, unrepaired roads, 
 
FREETOWN 00000554  005 OF 005 
 
 
significant price rises in imported rice (that still costs 
less than local rice), widespread crime, poor sanitation, 
inadequate health care, and substandard schools.  Kabbah 
referenced the country's failed infrastructure only once as 
part of a future challenge.  He took credit for the 
Anti-Corruption Commission, but, critics noted, gave no 
explanation for failure to prosecute senior miscreants.  Some 
saw his comments on giving appointees time to perform as a 
veiled reference to the underperforming ACC Chairman. 
Although Kabbah cited agriculture and food security, 
observers were surprised that he made no mention of Sierra 
Leone's other key economic sector: minerals. 
 
23.(SBU) Critics noted that President Kabbah omitted any 
reference to the Truth and Reconcilation Commission whose 
recommendations have not become law as required by the law 
that established the TRC.  They also wondered at his failure 
to cite the Special Court for Sierra Leone as an 
accomplishment and that he made no mention of war crimes 
defendant Charles Taylor's recent transfer to The Hague for 
SCSL trial.  On national security, they criticized him for 
only a brief mention of Guinea's occupation of the village of 
Yenga and no discussion of recent Guinea Armed Forces 
incursions elsewhere along the border. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
24.(SBU) President Kabbah is concerned about his historical 
reputation and the legacy that he will leave for Sierra 
Leone.  He wants his tenure as Sierra Leone's second longest 
serving President to be remembered for more than the 
destructive civil war, and he wants to be perceived as a 
champion of democracy.  His speech is the beginning of a long 
goodbye that will culminate in the transfer of power to his 
successor.  More speeches justifying his actions and 
describing his accomplishments can be expected, especially 
when he campaigns for his own party's candidates. 
 
25.(SBU) Kabbah will undoubtedly be remembered as benign, but 
his record might be seen as "Failures Outweigh Successes," as 
one headline commented.  Although there have been some 
significant accomplishments, his administration has been 
marked by lost opportunities especially during the UN 
peacekeeping years.  Kabbah's rhetoric has not been matched 
by performance, and his new laws have not been well 
implemented.  Although his speech to Parliament was 
personally emotional and drew cheers from the SLPP, it was 
telling that the APC opposition leader looked bemused 
throughout.  Most Sierra Leoneans probably found it similarly 
unsatisfying. 
HULL