By George M.O. Williams
The Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh, has said that delays in the commencement of voting across Sierra Leone in the general elections conducted on Saturday June 24, 2023 could be attributed to some Polling Staff abandoning their duties and many others reporting late to collect voting materials.
He added that ECSL staff faced several violent attacks across the country during Saturday’s polls which led to serious injuries and vehicles being vandalized. He also averred that polling boxes are still being transported to Electoral Commission Sierra Leone’s Regional Offices.
In her preliminary statement, the Head of the European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission, Evin Incir, “Generally, it was observed across the country that voting has not yet commenced in most polling centers. It was hoped that voting commence soon.”
It was observed at the Emmas School, Back of Old School in South Ridge, Center Code : 16201, voting commenced at about 2:00 pm due to the delay of the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) to distribute voting materials (sensitive and non- sensitive) on time, the voting register was lately received at the center and two women who made their way into the polling center fainted on arrival having been exhausted while standing in the queue for over five hours the entire voting environment was in chaos.
It was observed that at the Emmett School in Lumley Ward 442 Center Code: 16243 voting commenced two hours after the 7:00 am as stipulated, the same was uniform at the Lumley High School and the Manfa Field, Western Area Urban, Center Code 16247 where the main opposition All People’s Congress Presidential Candidate cast his vote.
The Director of Operations, Office of National Security (ONS), Abdulai Caulker confirmed that one polling staff was seriously beaten in Tonkolili District and died in the early hours of Sunday June 25, 2023.
He admonished all political parties to stop proclaiming themselves as winners of the elections, but should wait for the ECSL, as they are the only mandated body to announce elections results in Sierra Leone.
The Political Party Registration Commission, Abdulai Bangura applauded political parties for show their good will and calling on their party supporters to be peaceful and adhere to the electoral process.