News

The Commissioner, East, of the National Electoral Commission, Aiah Mattia, has told Politico that his commission is ready to conduct elections as scheduled and that the data collection process which is being consolidated will be wrapped up this week. In this exclusive interview to mark 100 days to voting day, the commissioner was assertive about progress so far. Read full interview:

Politico:  Mr. Mattia with just a few weeks (100 days) to voting day, how prepared is NEC to conduct free, fair and credible elections?

The Registrar of the Political Parties’ Registration Commission, Abraham John, has told Politico in Freetown that they are concerned about their inability to function effectively in the absence of an Act that would empower them to cancel the registration of candidates and political parties that ignore warning and contravene the law. Read the full interview below:

Politico: What are the plans of the PPRC – if there is any – for the elections with barely 100 days to go?

National Coordinator of the civil society coalition monitoring in Sierra Leone, National Elections Watch (NEW) has expressed scepticism following a series of what he catalogued as challenges that continue to face the country’s elections body, NEC. In an interview with Politico, James Lahai notes that some clear lines have to be drawn and information around them must be accurate as the country gets closer to election day. Enjoy the rest of the interview which follows:

The Inspector General of Police, Francis Munu has assured Sierra Leoneans that his force will be impartial in policing the November 2012 polls. In an exclusive interview with Politico marking exactly 100 days to voting day, the police boss made some other interesting and commitments. Read on and keep for your records:

POLITICO: With 100 days to elections what have you, the Sierra Leone Police, put in place to ensure the safety and security of the process?

Just one week after the National Electoral Commission announced a whooping increase in nomination fees for candidates running in November’s general elections, the governing All People’s Congress party says anyone interested in being awarded a symbol to run for parliament will pay a non-refundable fee of Le 12.5 Million to the party.

Creoles, who make up around ten percent of Sierra Leone’s population, say they are being marginalised in the country’s politics. They include the Muslim wing of the Creoles otherwise known as the Akus or Fourah Bay.

At an impressive meeting at the YWCA Hall in Freetown, attended by over 500 members of ethnic group, the former Mayor of Freetown, Winstanley Bankole-Johnson said that the trend needed to be reversed. “They must not take our silence for weakness” he warned, adding that being “meek, peaceful and law-abiding” did not mean being afraid.

Students of Fourah Bay College protesting against the rustication and expulsion of 31 of their colleagues yesterday ran amok with police who went to disperse them on campus. The police fired tear gas and arrested 22 people including nine females.