By Saio Marrah
Electoral Commissioner for Northern Region, Abubakarr Koroma says the commission is developing a new app for use by polling centre managers during the elections.
Koroma was addressing stakeholders at a seminar organised by the Centre for Accountability and the Rule of Law (CARL), on the state of electoral justice system in Sierra Leone, held at the Country Lodge Hotel in Freetown.
The essence of the application he said is for them to pass on information to the situation room on the status of polling in their respective centres across the country and that such will enable the commission to respond to issues as quickly as possible.
He highlighted the gains the commission has made over the period among which was the enactment of the Public Elections Act of 2022 that has reduced the nomination fees for candidates vying for elective office .
Koroma disclosed that the commission will be conducting the upcoming elections with local staff support without any expatriate involvement.
He said the commission has also been able to ensure there is online accreditation for the electioneering process for political parties and other stakeholders. The nomination process will also be done online.
He said the socio- economic and infrastructural challenges have forced the commission not to achieve the desired announcement of election result at district level, but to stick to announcing results at regional level as it has been happening in the last two general elections. He said the results will be tallied at regional level.
Another challenge the commissioner also highlighted is the issue of fake news, interference by some political parties and Civil Society Organisations and some individuals who may want to interfere with the work of the commission.
The Executive Director of CARL Ibrahim Tommy said the seminar was geared towards pinpointing the various challenges and finding a possible way of addressing some of them to enhance free, fair and transparent elections which everyone will be proud of.
Justice Monfred Sesay, during his keynote address on behalf of the Chief Justice, highlighted the gains made by the judiciary including the setting up of special courts to speedily address election offences and petitions during the electioneering process across the country. He said the law also guarantees the interest of the people of Sierra Leone including their full participation in the governance of the state of the country either as voter or administrator.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (29/03/23)
