In what is believed to be the first time in the recent history of diplomacy in Sierra Leone, the British High Commissioner and the United States Ambassador to the country have held a joint press conference in Freetown.
Speaking at the US embassy, Ambassador Michael Owen described 2012 as “historic” for his country and Sierra Leone in that they would both be holding elections in November with just a week in-between each other.
He said that for the first time in Sierra Leone’s history its people would be having multiple elections on the same day, which he said marked a milestone in the country’s political history.
He said both the UK and the US embassies in Freetown were working together for “strong, free, fair and non violent” elections in Sierra Leone.
“There has been a lot of support from the US and the International Community, and we are very keen on making sure that this country makes a peaceful transition into a fully democratic state.”
Ambassador Owen disclosed that they had also funded the training of 155 women on how to run political campaigns. He went on that “there have been a lot of discussions about how to increase the role of women and their participation in the politics of Sierra Leone” which he described as “a laudable objective” they would support.
Ian Hughes, the British high commissioner, said that although democracy was a very easy word to say, it should be noted that it was not all just about elections. He explained that democracy was a difficult concept to deliver and brought about its loopholes. “It is a dialogue between the people and the government as to who is going to do what, how, where and with how much as they live together.”
Ambassador Hughes added that these elections were very important because it would be the third national elections since the war and the first to be conducted and supervised by Sierra Leoneans themselves. He promised that British support to Sierra Leone would continue even after polling day.
