By Nasratu Kargbo
The Chief Electoral Commissioner at the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) Mohamed Konneh has said that they will commence distribution of the remaining voter identity cards on the 24th of April 2023 at their district offices across the country.
When asked when the extension process will stop, he explained that they are not going to open centres, but that they will give an opportunity to registrants that haven’t collected their cards to do so at the different district offices across the country. He said for now they’ve left it open, but that they might come to the public if they need to.
He explained that some registrants are out of the country, noting that this will give them the opportunity to collect their IDs.
Whilst reading the press release, the Commissioner stated that 77% of registered voters have collected their voter identity cards or 2,613,655(two million six hundred and thirteen thousand six hundred and fifty-five) a figure which is provisional. He added that there were 5,205(five thousand two hundred and five) photoless registrants, whilst 502 (five hundred and two) were mismatched and 9,061(Nine hundred and sixty-one) misplaced.
Responding to the question of whether the irregularities will affect the elections, he stated that it will not affect the election in any way, saying an individual can vote with or without their voter ID card. He said that they have the records and details to ascertain whether or not a person is registered.
He stated that the issue of irregularities will be taken care of.
Konneh was asked to give a figure on the number of cards that were yet to be collected; however, the Commissioner said that he cannot give a figure. “We have not received all the data to give a comprehensive record of the collection,” he said.
He said that they have signed a contract with twenty-five Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to engage the public on electoral education and the Proportional Representation System, stating that they’ll use the money that ECOWAS donated.
Commissioner Edmond Sylvester Alpha informed the public that cards are now available for the registrants in Lower Banta Chiefdom in Moyamba whose cards were not printed. He stated that the commission has given two days to registrants in that area to pick up their IDs, noting that the closing date will be the 19th of April 2023.
In response to a question asked as to how the CSOs were chosen, Alpha explained that the commission operates on an open-door policy with CSOs and Non-governmental organizations both local and international, explaining that they have been partnering with most of those institutions in the past.
The commissioner explained that some of the institutions have revealed that they’ve received funding from other foreign organizations, whilst others have requested funds from the commission. He stated that for them to fund those CSOs they asked them to apply and were required to meet certain criteria.
According to the Commissioner, the ten-day distribution of ID cards was peaceful. The process began on the 7th April and ended on the 16th April,2023.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (19/04/23)
