The Chief Executive Officer of Campaign for Good Governance (CGG) and the Chairperson for National Election Watch (NEW), Marcella Samba-Sesay has in a press statement said that, according to NEW findings, the persistent presence of high profile government officials and politicians in elections environment before and during polls mounts undue tension thereby undermining the sanity of elections.
It could recalled that the National Electoral Commission (NEC) conducted bye-elections in five different localities, precisely Constituency 078, Wards 287, 348 and 226 and Re-run election in Constituency 110 on December 12th 2020.
She said their findings also indicate that personnel of the Sierra Leone Police were not bold enough to enforce regulations around elections in localities where high profile government officials and politicians were present because the security personnel of government officials and politicians had higher ranks than those designated at polling stations.
“The abuse of incumbency by using state resources for partisan purposes continues to pose severe challenges for our elections and democracy in Sierra Leone,” she said.
Samba-Sesay noted that during Election Day, the use of money and development initiatives by party faithfuls as direct incentives for votes to compromise voters was also dominant.
She cited that the pattern of photo taking during ballots by voters was predominant which undermined the democratic principle of secret balloting. She added that the prevalence of distorted Voter Identity Cards for the purpose of impersonation is also a growing trend in the elections landscape in the country, and mentioned that voter turn-out at bye-elections over the years had not been encouraging and that it continues to decline. He added that void votes during elections remains higher despite years of civic and voter education.
“The notion of elections, including the just concluded bye and re-run elections has become highly repressive and shrouded in fear, undermining not only the tenets of democratic elections but citizens’ rights and freedoms,” she added.
In her recommendation, she noted that democratic institutions must step up civic and voter education for democratic coexistence and for safe guarding citizen’s choice at elections.
She mentioned that there is need for the review and enactment of the Political Parties Registration and Regulation Commission’s bill, which she said would accord prosecutorial powers to the Commission to address issues of abuse of incumbency, campaign financing, intra-party tensions and further control the conduct of political parties.
She advised that Laws must be enacted to strengthen and guarantee the independence of the Sierra Leone Police to free them from undue control and compromise.
By George M.O. Williams
21/12/2020. ISSUE NO: 7969