By Politico staff writer
The National Elections Watch (NEW) in a press statement highlighting its monitoring of the distribution by the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) of the new voter ID card across the country, has stated a high turn-out of people at centres to collect their cards.
But the organisation said it observed there were various issues with the exercise such as data mismatch, misplacement of cards, and cards without photos. It mentioned concerns about the quality of the cards including the photos, and the non-inclusion of corrections made during the verification that could have updated information on the cards of some registrants.
It also stated inconsistencies in the way of addressing issues that emerged at the centres. It cited how in most centres “the registrants with photoless voter registration cards were given attestation forms and voter registration cards. In other centres like centre codes 15123, Maria Primary School, Grafton and 13118, UMC Salina, Moyamba they were only given attestation forms’’.
NEW observed there’s a gender balance in terms of deployment of personnel by the ECSL at all centres the organisation visited.
Generally, the centres were said to have opened on time and NEW reported 25% Police deployment at the centres visited.
On the level of civilian cooperation in the exercise, NEW said: “Citizens voluntarily assisted ECSL in the maintenance of order at distribution centres. At centre code 15123, Maria Primary School, Grafton, community people volunteered to maintain order in the queue, for instance”.
It said its observers covered 363 distribution centres - some 10% of the 3,630 distribution centres across the country. The electoral monitoring body said it will continue its tour of centres during the remaining days of the distribution of the cards which ends on Sunday 16th April.
On June 24th this year, Sierra Leoneans will go to the polls with sitting President Julius Maada Bio seeking re-election for a second term. His main challenger is Dr Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara of the main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) party. Some 17 political parties are expected to take part in the elections.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (14/04/23)
