By George M.O. Williams
The Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) in a press release it put out on July 24th, 2023, maintains that the results of the June 24th elections reflect the expressed will of the voters.
It was said in the release that while the Commission awaits the final reports of the various accredited Observer Missions, it has received repetitive calls, mostly indirectly, from some quarters urging the ECSL to take actions that do not fall under the Laws of Sierra Leone.
“The Commission will consider recommendations from the Observer Missions that will add value to the electioneering processes,” said the release.
The Commission said that at no point in time was the Chief Electoral Commissioner, Commissioners and Staff of the ECSL placed under duress by His Excellency the President or any Government Official.
“Suggested claims of that nature by misinformed persons on social media are malicious and dangerous to our democracy,” ECSL said.
In release the ECSL assured all that it will continue to be guided by extant laws and best practice precedents in all its actions and that all such actions of the ECSL prior to, during, and in these post- elections period have been strictly guided by national statutes and local and international best practices.
“We thank our development partners who contributed to the multilateral partners’ fund used to support civil society organizations and complimentary activities like voter education and inclusion. All these activities led to the large voter turnout observed across the country,” the release stated. In the release ECSL expressed concerned about the complicity of its partners as such harmful misinformation could affect the peace which Sierra Leoneans continue to experience after the elections.
The ECSL acknowledged through the media statement some technical challenges and which limited its capacity during the electioneering process, but promised that it would address them as it seeks to strengthen its institutional capacity and response. “Managing over 90,000 personnel and over 11,000 stations is demanding, but we are extremely proud of all our staff and contract workers who work hard to ensure election results are credible,” he said.
Through the statement the ECSL expressed pride in its service to Sierra Leone in delivering “one of the most credible, inclusive, transparent, and peaceful elections since the reintroduction of multiparty democracy in Sierra Leone.”