By Saio Marrah
The Judiciary of Sierra Leone has in a press release reacted to a recently released report by the European Union Election Follow-up Mission stating that the confidence level in the judiciary has declined due to the High Court’s 2019 decision to declare elected, the runners up in 10 constituencies at the 2018 elections.
The press statement by the judiciary stated that the institution is not subjected to anyone or authority including the Mission, except the constitution and any other law, according to the 1991 constitution.
The Mission’s report had noted that the Public Election Act of Sierra Leone said an election that is declared void should be rerun.
The judiciary said they indeed declared rerun of some of those that were necessary and also declared the second person as winner of those that a rerun was not necessary.
In as much as the relied on the Public Election Act, which states that when an election is declared void, it can be declared for rerun, that is not the only remedy available, the release emphasized.
The judiciary described the EU’s reliance on the Public Election Act as misplaced, because according to the judiciary, has to be interpreted in line with the 1991 constitution, which the judiciary said is Supreme to the Public Election Act.
The Judiciary also described the EU team as professionally incompetent and of having lost respect for them after the visiting members deliberately refused the judiciary communications team’s offer to video-record a meeting between the two parties in the Chamber of the Chief Justice on the grounds that they wanted the discussion to be private and confidential, even though the judiciary wanted the meeting to be transparent.
The judiciary statement noted that the EU Mission then went ahead to issue out a press release that misinformed the public on issues that were never discussed or put before the judiciary. The judiciary also asserted that for them to again register their previous trust and confidence in the Mission, they should change their posture.
Copyright © Politico Online 15/11/21
