By Politico Staff Writer
A meeting called to discuss threats to elections has recommended that Election Observers be protected during polling. Officials from the National Electoral Commission, Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) and National Elections Watch held the Focus Group Discussions at the Jui office of the National Commission for Democracy (NCD), which itself organized the event.
They singled out youths, women and the physically challenged that usually serve as Election Observers and most times collaborate with their international partners, as the most vulnerable. They also called on political parties to add value to the election process and for religious leaders to promote peace and tolerance.
Participants at the meeting also urged NCD to be more active in addressing national cohesion and not only political cohesion, recognizing the important role of the Commission in achieving that.
Synchronization of the country’s electoral laws before the 2022 Local Council Elections, and clarity in the functions of the National Electoral Commission and the National Civil Registration Authority’s registration process, were also among the recommendations made. Civil Society Organisations were cautioned on how they should approach and address national issues, and for them to know that only the National Electoral Commission has the mandate to announce election results. They acknowledged that discussions and policy recommendations would encourage the government to promote peace and stability in Sierra Leone.
NCD Western Region Commissioner, Benjamin Macfoy, told the meeting that the policy recommendations are expected to address the governance challenges in the country.
PPRC representative, Zainab Moseray, spoke about the need for state institutions to design programmes that will promote peace, tolerance and national cohesion. She questioned the independence of some of the country’s state institutions, citing a lot of interferences, and called for a review of the constitution. She also described the proposed Peace Commission as laudable, but she was concerned about its composition.
Madam Moseray used the opportunity to express the importance of empowering the PPRC with laws and resources to regulate political parties in the country.
Other speakers expressed their views on a number of issues such as youth ignorance about the recommendations of post-conflict Sierra Leone’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report and the importance for Village Head Elections to be conducted on non-partisan basis and for them to be free always from violence and political interference.
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