By Sorie Ibrahim Fofanah
Briefing the media on the progress made so far by the Electoral Systems and Management Body Review (ESMBR), the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone, confirmed that the government, and the main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) Party have signed the terms of reference for the committee to guide them throughout the review process spanning from 2007, 2012, 2018 and the June 2023 elections.
The UN Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone, Seraphine Wakana said the setting up of the tripartite committee was one of the provisions of national unity that was signed by the government and the main opposition party, recalling that the said committee started its work at the start of January. She noted that they have completed the first phase of the process by signing the terms of reference which she said defines the scope of their work.
Wakan commended the committee co-members for their engagements amidst what she termed as their “vengeance and strong views" in the tripartite committee.
She called on both the government and the opposition party to support the implementation of the Cross- Party Committee and implored them to diffuse tensions among their supporters, encouraging them to preach peace.
The UN Resident Coordinator noted that reviewing the electoral system of Sierra Leone is critical in strengthening the country's democracy.
She stated that they are going to be transparent throughout the process. She went on to say they would bring expertise to help them in their work to meet international best practices. "Development partners and the international community remain committed to supporting the process of the committee," Wakana reiterated.
In his statement, Kaifala Marrah who is representing the APC party said the June 2023 election ended in a standoff between the APC and SLPP, saying a lot of people did not believe in the transparency of the ECSL’s tallying of the results, adding that the APC believed there were irregularities in the said elections, thus leading APC to stay off from participating in governance for three months.
Marrah recalled that a dialogue was conducted by local and international partners, in which he said eight resolutions were made.
He said the committee should look into the conduct of past elections and proffer recommendations for future elections.
The APC representative said the tripartite committee is a transparent body, noting that they have had the terms of reference that guide the work of the committee. "This is a transparent process," he said, noting they will have to show their work to the people of Sierra Leone.
The work of the tripartite committee is to serve the nation, Marah said.
Speaking on the terms of reference to examine the 2023 election, he highlighted the review of election results and previous elections, the tallying process of election results in 2023 elections, the certification of results, reports and recommendations of observers, the electoral law (Public Election Act 2022), among others.
During the work, he added they would invite people from the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) and other institutions to make their work easier.
He said the committee would go across the country to educate the people about their work.
On the commitment of the APC, he said they would ensure that their recommendations are acknowledged at the end of the process.
Responding to a media question on whether there would be a re-run if the committee finds out that the 2023 Election results had irregularities, Marrah said the public should not pre-empt the work of the committee, noting that recommendations will be made based on their findings.
In his response, the government's representative, Dr. Gaima recalled that the 2023 election was the first to have been funded by the Government of Sierra Leone, saying it is time for Sierra Leone to start taking responsibility for itself since : "We are an independent state.’’
Speaking on the electoral review process, Gaima noted that some of the electoral reviews had started before the setting up of the tripartite committee, noting recommendations of 2007, 2012, and 2018 that were put together that make up the 2022 Election Act.
Speaking on the tripartite agreement, he said they as a government firmly believe in the process, noting that they would take into the residual process of the tripartite committee in strengthening the governance system in Sierra Leone.
Giama noted that the committee is not an investigative body, stating it is a review committee. He stated that the timeline for their work is six months.
He said other parties have expressed concerns of not being part of the committee, insisting they should be part of the process, which according to him is necessary because of the election process.
On whether there would be a re-run of the 2023 election, Gaima said they don’t have the mandate to request for rerun elections.
Reacting to media questions, Gaima said the government will implement all recommendations. "The President remains committed towards the process," he added.
On whether the election results will be examined by the committee, he said the committee does not have the power to coerce ECSL, noting that they might see the need to invite the institution through a court order, saying the commission is protected by the question.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (12/02/24)
