By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
Western Region Electoral Commissioner, Zainab Umu Moseray has told a gathering of stakeholders to discuss promoting access to information that national identity supersedes political differences, as the June Elections approach.
She said the polls will come and go but citizens’ identity as Sierra Leonean will always remain.
She spoke about the Electoral Commission’s capacitating of media practitioners and the provision of applications that will be used to confirm election results per districts.
The workshop was organized by Right to Access Information Commission (RAIC) , and its Chairman Dr. Ibrahim Seaga Shaw pointed out that he was pleased to have stakeholders examine the relationship between access to information and elections.
He said with the elections around the corner, the Right to Access Information Act will guide people on information related to the electioneering process.
National Commission for Democracy (NCD) Chairperson, Marian Samu, said it would be of immense importance that the regulations of the RAI Act were coming into effect as the elections approach.
Abdul Fatorma of the Election Conflict Prevention and Mediation Group (ECPM) said accessing information is a human right which must be respected. He noted that through the interventions of ECPM, 18 by-elections were conducted without litigations, demonstrating that the winners as well as the losers were satisfied with the process.
Acting Executive Director of Campaign for Good Governance (CGG), Sahr Kendema in his remarks stated that RAIC represents accountability, good governance and transparency and entreated citizens to make us of the law.
Abdul Karim Samura from National Elections Watch said over 400 members have been direct beneficiaries of the RAI Act, whilst former British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Paramount Chief Komrabai Peter Penfold commended RAIC for the progress made and looked forward to meaningful use of the regulations.
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