48-609: The Presidential Award is a decoration established by President Siaka Stevens to honour Sierra Leoneans in recognition of "diligent and dedicated services" to Sierra Leone. The medal was established in 1972 by President Siaka Stevens , and ranks below the Orders of the Republic and the Rokel . It is awarded in gold and silver classes. A ceremony where the President of Sierra Leone presents
96-456: A Constitutional Monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as the Queen of Sierra Leone, to a republican form of government with no monarchy. However, he was "outspokenly pro-British" the entire time, and was not motivated by any form of animosity towards Great Britain or the royal family. Despite forming ties with communist nations that were opposed to NATO and the west, Stevens said that outside of Africa,
144-701: A Mende mother. His maternal mother Miatta Massaquoi is the daughter of Siaka Massaquoi who was a king of the Vai people (also: Gallinas ), whose settlement area is now partly in Sierra Leone and partly in Liberia . He is considered the founder of the modern ruling house of the Massaquoi and the kingdom of the Gallinas (1814), which was the only one in Africa to have a crown designed after
192-503: A one-party state with the APC as the only legally permitted party. Stevens billed the proposed one-party system as more African than Western-style democracy. However, the country had been a de facto one-party state since Sierra Leone became a republic. On 12 June, 97.1% of voters were reported to have voted for the new one-party constitution, an implausibly high total that could have only been obtained by massive fraud. Observers agreed that
240-584: A bill to establish a one-party system in Sierra Leone and also blamed Margai for developments had led to an economic slowdown. In the 1967 elections, the APC and SLPP each won 32 seats in parliament, with 2 former SLPP Independents siding with the APC MPs Kutubu Kai-Samba and Luseni A. M Brewah. This development confirmed that the SLPP would no longer lead the country. The subsequent political unrest led to
288-398: A nation but not in every case as individuals. They were locked into a system of values and prejudices they had acquired from backgrounds and circumstances, which were an inescapable part of history. I apportion no blame." Stevens retired from office at the end of his term on 28 November 1985. After pressuring all other potential successors to step aside, Major-General Joseph Saidu Momoh
336-450: A one-party state. In 1978 all SLPP MPs except one (Manna Kpaka, MP in Kenema) joined the APC. The SLPP was outlawed, and its elites and supporters were physically threatened and barred from holding meetings. In 1996 SLPP returned to prominence, as its candidate Ahmad Tejan Kabbah won the presidential election, receiving 59.5% of the popular vote in a second round against John Karefa-Smart of
384-447: A planned assault on the sovereignty of Sierra Leone and her citizens. Bangura was to be the ring leader, but the plan never materialised because of a coup headed by Bangura. Bangura, in turn, handed over power to Siaka Stevens as prime minister (Kpana:2005). Another prominent Sierre Leonean murdered during Siaka Steven's rule was Dr Mohamed Forna. He was hanged along with 14 other people in 1974 after trumped up charges of treason. Dr Forna
432-678: A secret defence pact between Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom. Another point of contention was the Sierra Leonean government's position that there would be no elections held before independence, which would effectively shut him out of the political process. He was promptly expelled from the PNP upon his return from the talks. Stevens then launched the Elections Before Independence Movement (EBIM). After successfully exploiting
480-628: A swing district), where the party regularly wins presidential, parliamentary and local elections by large margins. The SLPP has large minority support in the Western Area (including Freetown ). The SLPP also has large minority support in Koinadugu District and Falaba District in the north of the country. The SLPP also has significant minority support in Kambia District in the north of the country. SLPP dominated politics in Sierra Leone in
528-419: The 2012 presidential election . He beat Usman Boie Kamara , who came in second place. Bio was nominated as the SLPP candidate for president in the 2018 election, which he ultimately won. In 2018, Sierra Leone held a general election . The presidential election, in which neither candidate reached the required threshold of 55%, went to a second round of voting, in which Julius Maada Bio was elected with 51% of
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#1732852206581576-540: The All People's Congress (APC). It has been the ruling party in Sierra Leone since 4 April 2018. The SLPP dominated Sierra Leone's politics from its foundation in 1951 to 1967, when it lost the 1967 parliamentary election to the APC, led by Siaka Stevens . Originally a centre-right , conservative party, it identifies since 2012 as a centre-left social democratic party, with a centrist tendency. The SLPP returned to power when its leader Ahmad Tejan Kabbah won
624-587: The Creole civil administrators with unqualified members of his Mende tribe. Sir Albert Margai took power and sought to make the army homogeneously Mende. He also endeavoured to change Sierra Leone from a democracy to a one-party state . Scores of schools were built in the provinces along with Teachers Colleges in every district (Makeni, Magburaka, Moyamba, and the Milton Margai Teachers College). Opposing leaders criticized Margai's presentation of
672-558: The United National People's Party (UNPP). In the election held on 14 May 2002, the party won 69.9% of the popular vote and 83 out of 112 seats in the House of Representatives , and its candidate in the presidential election, Kabbah, won 70.1% of the vote and was re-elected. At the SLPP's national convention in Makeni on 3–4 September 2005, Vice-President Solomon Berewa was selected by
720-556: The 1996 presidential election. The party was in power from 1996 to 2007, when it again lost to the APC, led by Ernest Bai Koroma , in the 2007 presidential election. SLPP returned to power on 4 April 2018 when Julius Maada Bio was sworn in as the new President of Sierra Leone after winning the 2018 Sierra Leone presidential election . SLPP is overwhelmingly popular in Mende areas in south and eastern Sierra Leone (except in Kono District ,
768-481: The British colonial government. With the independence of Ghana in 1957, the PNP sought the support of the educated elite to lead a transition to independence. Stevens would later leave the party to form the northern-supported All Peoples Congress . Upon independence in 1961, Milton Margai became prime minister , and the SLPP became the ruling party. The SLPP, along with almost all Sierra Leonean political parties, signed
816-670: The European model. Although born in Moyamba, Stevens was largely raised in Freetown . Stevens completed his primary education in Freetown and completed secondary school at Albert Academy in Freetown, before joining the Sierra Leone Police Force . From 1923 to 1930, he rose to the rank of First Class Sergeant and Musketry Instructor. From 1931 to 1946, Stevens worked on the construction of
864-521: The Republic after Christopher Okoro Cole , a judge, who was sworn in for a day after which he resigned, paving the way for Stevens. Stevens served as Chairman of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) from 1 July 1980 to 24 June 1981, and pioneered the creation of the Mano River Union , a three-country economic union comprising Sierra Leone, Liberia , and Guinea . Stevens retired from office at
912-438: The SLPP and become prime minister, and Siaka P. Stevens, who would also later become prime minister and subsequently President of Sierra Leone. The APC governed the country from 1968 to 1992, and became the ruling party again in 2007, after the party presidential candidate Ernest Bai Koroma won the 2007 Sierra Leone presidential election . In elections held on 17 March 1967, the APC won by an extremely narrow margin, and Stevens
960-541: The SLPP as its leader and 2007 presidential candidate. He received 291 votes, while Charles Margai received 34, Julius Maada Bio received 33, and J. B. Dauda received 28. In the August 2007 election , the SLPP was defeated by the APC in the parliamentary election, winning 43 seats against 59 for the APC; the PMDC, a splinter party founded by Charles Margai , attracted the support of some traditional SLPP voters, winning 10 seats. In
1008-459: The SLPP, which gave the APC all 85 seats in the House of Representatives. In March 1976 Stevens was re-elected President unopposed by the House. Stevens's first vice-president from 1971 until leaving office in 1985 was Sorie Ibrahim Koroma . Throughout the remainder of the 1970s, Stevens continued to consolidate his power, which culminated in a 1978 referendum on a new constitution that would create
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#17328522065811056-792: The Sierra Leone Development Company (DELCO) railway, linking the Port of Pepel with the iron ore mines at Marampa . In 1943, he helped co-founded the United Mine Workers Union and was appointed to the Protectorate Assembly in 1946 to represent worker interests. In 1947, Stevens was enrolled at Ruskin College where he studied labour relations . In 1951, Stevens co-founded the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) and
1104-444: The United Kingdom would remain Sierra Leone's best and truest friend. He said he was proud of Britain's role in Sierra Leone's history which he believed was mostly positive. He outlined "football, rugby, cricket, boxing, trial by jury, habeas corpus and parliamentary democracy" as all being things Sierra Leone inherited from Britain that he was fond of. Stevens also said he was proud of having attended Ruskin College . His middle name
1152-541: The best." As a result of this he took a staunchly pro-British approach to numerous foreign policy issues, including voting with Britain at the UN with regards to positions on Spain's claim to Gibraltar and on issues regarding Northern Ireland . Stevens stated that Spain had no legitimate claim to Gibraltar and he had Sierra Leone's delegation to the United Nations vote accordingly. Stevens oversaw Sierra Leone's transition from
1200-414: The chiefs, who had formed the backbone of the party. Albert's autocratic leadership style was questioned within his party, sparked by actions such as the demotion of senior party members Alhaji M.S. Mustapha and Kerefa Smart. Albert also embarked on a policy of Africanisation , which removed some civil servants who favored a colonialistic approach. Margai may have adopted this strategy in an effort to replace
1248-482: The closely contested 1967 Sierra Leone general elections over incumbent Prime Minister Sir Albert Margai of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP). In April 1971, Stevens made Sierra Leone a republic and became president a day after the constitution had been ratified by the Sierra Leone Parliament . Though generally considered as the first president of Sierra Leone, technically he was the second President of
1296-472: The constitution at the London constitutional conference; the APC was the notable exception. This unity did not extend to national politics, as opposing politicians often faced detainment under SLPP rule. Sir Milton Margai 's death in 1964 left SLPP leadership to his brother Sir Albert Margai . Albert's rule was characterized by dissent. Politically, he attempted to strengthen the position of SLPP elites relative to
1344-489: The declaration of martial law and a military coup that took full control of the national government. The National Reformation Council (NRC), led by Brigadier Andrew Juxon-Smith , was established on 23 March 1967. Pressure from political elites, trade unions, and university students led to the junta's collapse in November 1970, and Siaka Stevens of the APC became president after the interregnum. Under Stevens, Sierra Leone became
1392-560: The disenchantment of northern and eastern ethnic groups with the SLPP, along with the creation of an alliance with the Sierra Leone Progressive Independence Movement (SLPIM), He was one of the 8TH member's of the APC after it was formed on 20 March 1960. The All People's Congress is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, the other being the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP). The party
1440-518: The elections had been heavily manipulated by the government. Proving this, even areas where the SLPP was still dominant were reported as supporting the one-party state by landslide margins. Following the election, all opposition members of the House of Representatives were required to join Stevens's APC or lose their seats. Two years after being re-elected for a five-year term, Stevens was sworn in for an additional term of seven years, having by then adopted
1488-592: The end of his term on 28 November 1985. After pressuring all other potential successors to step aside, he chose Major-General Joseph Saidu Momoh , the commander of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces , as his successor. He died on 29 May 1988, in Freetown . Siaka Probyn Stevens was born on 24 August 1905 in Moyamba , Moyamba District in the Southern Province of British Sierra Leone to a Limba father and
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1536-494: The insignia takes place annually on Independence Day, 27 April. Siaka Probyn Stevens Siaka Probyn Stevens (24 August 1905 – 29 May 1988) was the leader of Sierra Leone from 1967 to 1985, serving as Prime Minister from 1967 to 1971 and as President from 1971 to 1985. Stevens' leadership was often characterized by patrimonial rule and self-indulgence, consolidating power by means of corruption and exploitation. Stevens and his All People's Congress (APC) party won
1584-474: The late 1960s and early 1970s saw frequent states of emergency and numerous executions of political foes. Among his close associates sent to the gallows were John Amadu Bangura , who had once plucked Stevens from political oblivion when the army obliterated civilian politics after the 1967 Huha elections; at that time, Stevens had been down and out, living in exile in Conakry, Guinea, with his main remaining option,
1632-410: The monarchy, Chief Justice Christopher Okoro Cole became interim governor general in late March. When the republic was formally inaugurated on 19 April, Cole became president for two days. He then resigned, and Stevens became president, with wide executive and legislative powers. In 1973, the first elections under the new constitution were held. The polls were marred by violence and were boycotted by
1680-613: The presidential election, the SLPP candidate, Berewa, took second place in the first round, winning 38.3% of the vote against 44.3% for the APC candidate, Ernest Bai Koroma . A second round of the presidential election was held in September; Koroma prevailed with 54.6% of the vote against 45.4% for Berewa. The SLPP constitution requires its leader to resign if the party loses a national election; Berewa resigned as party leader on 17 October 2007, leaving Alhaji Sulaiman Jah as acting leader. In 2011, Julius Maada Bio became SLPP's nominee for
1728-474: The seed money for the start of the party. After disagreements with the SLPP leadership, Stevens broke ties with the party and co-founded the People's National Party (PNP), of which he was the first secretary-general and deputy leader. In 1959, he participated in independence talks in London. When the talks concluded, however, he was the only delegate who refused to sign the agreement on the grounds that there had been
1776-489: The support of tribal chiefs . In recent times however, the SLPP has been widely perceived as "the Mende man's party". After elections in 1957 , Milton Margai bowed to behind-the-scenes pressure and stepped down from SLPP leadership, replaced by his brother Albert Margai . However, in 1958, Albert Margai and Siaka Stevens launched a new party, the People's National Party (PNP), which aimed for greater African involvement in
1824-680: The symbol. Allieu Badarr Koroma, the deputy chairman, C.A. Kamara-Taylor, First Secretary General, Alhaji Sheik Gibril Sesay, Treasurer, Kawusu Konte, Organiser, S. A. T. Koroma, Public Relations, Kotor AbuBakarr Sam Bangura, The Artist who drew the Symbol, were the first seventh and later added six to thirteen members. These were the first seven and founders members of the All Peoples Congress. The next Members are Siaka Probyn Stevens, Nancy Steele, S.I.Koroma, Bob Allen, Mohamed Bash-Taqui and Ibrahim Bash-Taqui. Sir Albert Margai who would later return to
1872-464: The time of the Sierra Leone Civil War in 1991, the impact of his political, social, and economic policies directly contributed to that conflict. Siaka Stevens reached out to communist countries such as North Korea , Cuba and China upon taking office. This led western leaders to initially be wary of him. However, he was also a committed Anglophile , who believed that "old friends were
1920-416: The title of "Dr." He also became known as "Pa Shaki". President Stevens served as Chairman of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) from 1 July 1980 to 24 June 1981, and engineered the creation of the Mano River Union , a three country economic federation of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea . Stevens held additional office of Minister of Finance from December 1981 to early 1982. Stevens' regime
1968-496: The years following World War II . In 1955 and 1956, riots occurred in Sierra Leone, originally sparked by the artisan union's strike over pay; further unrest followed strikes by transport workers. These events grew animosity between the SLPP and Krio parties, especially the Cyril Rogers-Wright led United Sierra Leone Progressive Party , established in 1954. The SLPP positioned itself as "the countryman's party," and garnered
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2016-476: Was elected to the Legislative Council. A year later, he became Sierra Leone's first Minister of Mines, Lands, and Labor. In 1957, he was elected to the House of Representatives as a member for Port Loko constituency, but lost his seat as a result of an election petition. APC was founded in 1963–64 when he visited East Germany, with Sheku Magona and Kade Kamara, with Kade Kamara going to China to getting
2064-417: Was "Probyn" and he was named after the British governor Leslie Probyn , who governed Sierra Leone from 1904 to 1910. He said "the injustices and racialism of the colonial regime in Sierra Leone helped to make me an African nationalist. I do not say this in any spirit of hostility to the British I knew in the old days, many of whom I admired, even loved. They were doing a difficult job which they had chosen as
2112-402: Was appointed prime minister, but he was arrested only half an hour after taking office during a military coup led by Brigadier David Lansana. After a brief period of military rule, Stevens reassumed the post of prime minister on 26 April 1968. In April 1971, a republican constitution was introduced. It was ratified by the House of Representatives on 20 April. Due to the complex process of ending
2160-405: Was founded in 1960 by a breakaway group from the Sierra Leone People's Party who vehemently opposed the idea of an election before independence, but instead supported the idea of independence before elections. The All People's Congress (APC) was formed at 5 Elba Street, Freetown, and it consisted of the late Alhaji Chief Mucktarru Kallay, the party's first chairman and Leader and who gave the name and
2208-438: Was sworn in as the new president of the Republic. Stevens died on 29 May 1988 in Freetown. Partly due to Stevens' authoritarian excesses, Sierra Leone's current constitution limits the president to two five-year terms, even if they are nonsuccessive. Sierra Leone People%27s Party The Sierra Leone People's Party ( SLPP ) is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone , along with its main political rival
2256-408: Was the popular finance minister when Stevens came to power. Stevens also grossly mismanaged the economy. He and his closest colleagues looted state resources, to the point that the state was unable to supply basic services. The education system was more or less non-existent. The poverty was especially pronounced in rural areas, which were largely isolated from Freetown. Although he had retired by
2304-412: Was very repressive and corrupt, even by African standards of the time. Many of his opponents, some of which were once close associates, were imprisoned and killed. The Internal Security Unit, a gang of unemployed urban youths amply supplied with drugs, was deployed as Stevens' personal death squad. He had actually shown a deep authoritarian streak long before making Sierra Leone an official one-party state;
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