By Mabinty M. Kamara
The National Election Watch (NEW), known for monitoring elections in Sierra Leone has been drafted into the fight against the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19), thanks to support from the European Union.
The latest activity is part of the EU-funded € 800,000 (Le 8 billion) project which seeks to enhance election observer organisations and citizens’ participation in democratic governance reform leading to the 2022 and 2023 electoral cycle.
As part of the project, NEW will engage in Covid-19 monitoring and awareness-rising in a bid to supporting the efforts of the government and other development partners to eradicate the COVID-19 in Sierra Leone and the world at large.
According to the chairperson of NEW, Massella Samba-Sesay during the launch of the project at the Shangri La hotel in Aberdeen, NEW will bring its election observation expertise to bear on monitoring the pandemic and raise awareness of the virus among the people.
“NEW will utilize its observation expertise to monitor activities along border crossing points, quarantine and holding centres and treatment facilities and inform government and the public on its findings for improvement where possible,” she said.
She went on: “His excellency the president said an extra pair of eyes will keep everyone safer and has called on CSO’s to close the feedback loop. NEW is committed to advocate, monitor, review and give feedback. In doing so, we will pursue a partnership built on mutual trust and suspicion but one based on shared aspirations, to ensure that the right things are done at the right time for the right reason and the right impact on Sierra Leoneans and the development of our country.”
In a bid to achieving this, NEW will have trained staff who will be monitored to perform the stated mandate.
Christiana Baun, Quality Assurance Officer of NEW noted that only staff who were trained to do the job would be allowed to be part of the team doing the monitoring, adding that a strategy had been developed to guide their operations during this Coronavirus period.
The Acting Chief Electoral Commissioner of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) commended the work of NEW for the monitoring and observation role it had played for the past decades, noting that NEW had through its election observation reports, helped NEC to develop a strategic document to help guide them during the 2023 election.
Edmond Alpha went on that he believed that with the capacity of NEW which is made up of more than 400 civil society organisations, they would create the desired impact in the fight against the Corona Virus Disease.
In his keynote address, the EU’s Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Tom Vens noted that with the track record of NEW, over the years, it was uniquely positioned to take on essential activities in the run up of the next elections.
“Through the project, NEW will contribute to deepening citizens’ knowledge on multiparty democracy, elections and other political processes and mobilize the public to be better informed about the various ongoing governance priorities so that they too can contribute to the debate,” he said.
He went on: “NEW will also support the government’s effort in containing the coronavirus with COVID-19 monitoring and awareness-raising activities. With the daily increase in numbers, more people must be given the correct information. All Sierra Leoneans need to be prepared and protected by receiving the right information on the causes of the virus, how it is spread. False believes and misinformation need to be addressed. And closer attention must be put to ensure that the investments in the COVID-19 response are fully accounted for by the various actors.”
The project was officially launched by the Vice President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh. During his speech, he commended Civil Society Organizations for the effort to institutionalize NEW and for maintaining the standards that led to the sentiments expressed on the organization both by the Acting Electoral Commissioner and Ambassador Tom Vens of the European Union.
“This is what we want to see. We want to see national institutions that can stand the test of time because, make no mistake, it is linked to the future prospect of Sierra Leone’s democracy. To hear the kind sentiments by the EU Ambassador, it means Civil Society has to work with the government. We have to build strategic partnership to ensure that we implement development projects,” he said.
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