By Lans Omar, Winnipeg.
It was a sunny September evening at the ACOMI Centre in Winnipeg, Canada, the small office space were the Sierra Leone Nationals Association of Manitoba (SALNAM) held the organization’s nomination meeting for their forthcoming general elections.
One by one, almost serene, rather peacefully, members of the Sierra Leone community in Winnipeg, Canada, entered the hall. Some werehanging out in the hallway and some were just within the perimeter of the fence, chatting and sipping water from their water bottles.
It was a well attended event.
Cheif Electoral Commisioner, Muckson Sesay, was noticeably absent, but SALNAM’s outgoing president, David Mahdi Koroma, was present.
Almost all the big players were in attendance.
"I think these are the last days for the Ayatollahs of Winnipeg," Aaliyah Conteh commented.
The Ayatollahs she was actually referring to are the "Five People," the bosses, who wanted to repeat history in this already broken community.
"Aaliyah, that is not on the agenda for now," I told her briefly before Electoral Commisioner Nancy Hunter walked in and announced that "the nominations will start in about five minutes."
Fredo Ali Kamara, Nancy and Bob Umar were at the high table.
The three, one after another, quickly addressed the public as to how the nominations were to be conducted.
At the end of the evening, Mohamed Sesay, Moses Shyllon and Allieu Sesay aka S.S. emerged as the nominees contesting for the highest office in the Sierra Leonean community in Winnipeg, Canada.
Several other nominations were announced including the offices of the Vice President, Treasurer, P.R.O., Financial Secretary, Secretary General and Social Secretary and so on.
Ken Abu Kamara and Henry Menyer are running mates for Mohamed Sesay and Allieu Sesay (S.S.) respectively.
Moses Shyllon will announce his running mate later this week.
Elections day is October 31st, 2009.
Photo, left to right: Mohamed Sesay, Moses Shyllon and Allieu Sesay.
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