The Chief Electoral Commissioner (CEC) of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (EC-SL), Mohamed Kenewui Konneh has assured Sierra Leoneans that this election will be one of the best ever conducted in the country.
Mr. Konneh said: “The EC-SL wants to assure the nation that it will conduct the elections in a free, fair, credible manner and wants to further assure all that this election will be one of the best ever conducted in this country…”
The CEC said today, Friday 23rd June 2023 is cooling-off period and tomorrow, Saturday 24th June 2023 is election day. He said the Commission is grateful to political parties, candidates and their supporters for abiding by the laws and regulations on election campaigns and the PPRC Regulatory Framework on Political Campaigns that Political Parties have signed up to.
The CEC informed that deployment of all materials (sensitive and non-sensitive) to polling centres are at an advanced stage and that non-sensitive materials had earlier been deployed at Zonal Storage facilities closest to polling centres.
He said deployment of sensitive materials for most polling centres (except for centres that are accessible only by sea) commenced this morning with more than 90% confirming receipt of materials, adding that electoral Materials for Polling centres only accessible by sea were dispatched yesterday 22nd June, 2023.
Mr. Konneh said: “Deployment of election materials is done with security escort provided by the Sierra Leone Police and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF).
“The Commission acknowledged with gratitude the support provided by development partners including EU, the Governments of Ireland, Canada through UNDP.
“The Commission also acknowledges the support provided by ECOWAS which has strengthened public sensitization on the Proportional Representation system and electoral education through Civil Society Organisations”.
He informed that accreditations have successfully been issued to 180,000 political parties at district level and that political party coordinators have been issued with 10 accreditations per district.
He said 25,00 accreditations have been issued to national observers at district level, 1,000 to international observers and 2,500 to media houses respectively.
The CEC confirmed that in total, a total of Two Hundred and Eight Thousand, Five Hundred (208,500) accreditations have been given out by the Commission. He appreciated every Sierra Leoneans for the way and manner in which they have conducted themselves throughout the electioneering process.
He concluded saying: “The peace of Sierra Leone must be paramount to us all and we must also endeavour to avoid violence at all cost. The Commission remains professional in the conduct of its activities.
“The Commission calls on all eligible Sierra Leoneans to go to the Polling Station saful, vote saful, go to your respective homes saful, listen to the radio saful, when the results are announced if your party or candidate wins celebrate saful, if your party or candidate lost, joined let us develop the country saful, if you are dissatisfied go to law Saful”.
He said a Situation Room is currently activated and that voters can call on the toll-free line of 838 on all networks to get further information from the EC-SL, adding; “in case of violence or threat of violence feel free to call the police on toll-free line 117”.
