SLPP ALLEGES FRAUD IN ELECTIONS

Summary Report of Instances of Voter Fraud, Malpractice and Irregularities Noted November 17, 2012 General Elections in Sierra Leone

It
is now abundantly clear that the November 17, 2012 polls were marred
by several instances of fraud, malpractices and irregularities
inconsistent with the National Electoral Commission (NEC)
electioneering process as mandated by law. We are continuing to
gather credible evidence which substantiates instances of deliberate
collusion between certain NEC officials, certain security personnel
and the All People’s Congress Party (APC) operatives and government
officials. Based on evidence obtained so far, these instances of
fraud, malpractice and irregularities appear to be pervasive across
several polling stations particularly in the Northern Region, Kono
and the Western Area. Several of these incidences have also been
reported by independent election observers and monitors including the
National Elections Watch while a few instances have been confirmed by
NEC. Select incidences are reported below:

Missing
Final Voter Registers in Several Polling Stations in Bombali and
Koinadugu
In
Bombali and Koinadugu districts final voter registers were missing
at several polling stations. NEC workers decided to create voter
registers from ID cards and voter slips presented by voters. Given
that ID cards and voter slips can be fraudulently obtained, we
believe that this alternative approach significantly undermined the
credibility of the entire voter verification process and related
results at the polling stations affected.
Interferences
by Certain NEC Officials in Voter’s Choice Selection
At
St. Edwards Secondary School Polling Station NEC ballot issuer and
police officers were caught using code word "up" to
instruct voters to vote for APC. There are also evidences
substantiating incidences where NEC officials gave multiple ballot
papers to APC supporters which allowed them to vote multiple times
We
have in our possession video clips of NEC Officials directing voters
to vote for specific candidates
At
the polling station located at Metro Funeral Home, Wilkinson Road,
an APC operative and a NEC official were caught removing ballot
papers from the polling station and upon confrontation by our party
agent, police removed our agent.
Secrecy
of voting was compromised. The polling station set up in many areas
in the Northern and Western Regions were done such that NEC
officials could see how voters voted. Voting was not done in secret
in these areas and voters were intimidated when perceived as
opposition party supporter.
Ballot
Stuffing and Intimidation of Our Voters, Party Officials and Party
Agents by NEC Officials, Security Personnel and APC Government
Officials
In
Constituency 67, Center 09038, Ward 231, Polling Station APC
presidential candidate had 118 votes but was changed and reported as
807 votes.
In
Constituency 68, Center 09012, Polling Station 1 – Presidential
results: SLPP scored 168 and APC scored 69. These figures were
changed to 1100 for SLPP Presidential and 6900 for APC presidential.
A
NEC Official in the Western was put under gun point by police
because she failed to compromise and allow ballot stuffing. The NEC
official elected to remain anonymous for reasons of security.
An
eye witness, (witness’ name has been withheld for her personal
safety) reported that she spent the night Madiga Maslasie at the
polling station at Magazine Cut. She observed on the election eve,
Nov. 16th, an incident where a NEC official invited APC and United
Democratic Movement (UDM) agents to pre-mark ballot papers in favor
of APC candidates. When Fatu alarmed that they should not vote
while voting has not yet started, the NEC official and APC
operatives drove her from the scene. The SLPP party agents were
driven away from the polling station when they reported in the
morning after a brief commotion.
NEC
officials were forced to count ballots in the dark because of what
appeared to be a deliberate power outage in many parts of the
Western Area as soon as vote counting began.
In
Kassel Farm in Eastern Freetown, arrest was made of a female
Presiding Officer
for
requesting from her NEC boss (an APC operative) for remaining 150
ballots and is in police custody as we speak. She was initially
refused the 300 ballots required and after inquiring about the
remaining, she was arrested for alleged disturbance of the election
process. Those polling stations all now reported the full votes
which is unexplainable.
At
St. Edwards Secondary School polling station in Freetown, ballot
boxes were abandoned until 3pm, 18^th
November. SLPP was notified that counting of the ballots was
secretly carried out at 9.30PM on Sunday 18^th
November. Police were called to the scene and the NEC officials
involved were arrested and taken to the Eastern Police Station.
Subsequently, we were informed of a curfew in the area.
Intimidation
and assault on polling agents across the Western Area by State
Security Personnel and Government Ministers including one on SLPP
Women's Leader by Police Officer, Leather Boot and his security
In
Constituency 54, Ward 184, Polling Center 7156, APC operative known
as Mobutu forced his way into the polling center where he was not
registered and our agent was forced out of the polling station while
Mobutu and the NEC official carried out ballot stuffing
Our
party agents reported cases of intimidation in Lumley, Goderich,
Dwazark, Tengbe Town and Eastern Freetown amongst others.
There
are wide spread reports that SLPP agents were forced out of the
Western Area and some of the Northern Region Tally Centers
At
the polling station at Metro Funeral Home, Wilkinson Road and APC
operative, Lansana Fadika took a group of thugs and disrupted
polling and counting
Refusal
By NEC Officials to Give Our Party Agents Result Reconciliation
Forms (RRFs) Upon Conclusion of the Counting
We
have evidence substantiating that in many constituencies in the Port
Loko District, party agents were not given the RRFs by NEC Officials
assigned. Our agents were informed by the NEC staff that the reason
for this was that they did not have enough forms. Our representative
immediately contacted District Election Officer and the NEC
Commissioner for North. Both officials promised to get back to our
representative with answers. We did not receive answers. This
occurrence was in fact pervasive in most constituencies in the Port
Loko District. The only place our representative came across RRFs
were in the Port Loko District Tally rooms.
Evidence
of Unsigned and/or Un-stamped RRFS
We
have evidence substantiating that several RRFs reviewed at tally
centers were either not signed by NEC official and Party Agents.
For example, in Center No 7005, Polling Station No. 1, the RRF was
not stamped or signed by the presiding officer but forms were signed
by alleged party agents. In this particular instance, the name of
the signatory was Sorie Sesay and Sorie Sesay was not an authorized
party agent for SLPP. We observed several instances where RRFs were
signed by unauthorized individuals.
There
were instances where RRFs were counter-signed by individuals who did
not indicate the parties they represented.
NEC
Official Directing Voters to Vote Ernest Koroma: NEC
Officials were caught on a mobile phone camera directing Voters to
Vote for Mr. Ernest Bai Koroma. The video is in possession of SLPP
Executive.

Missing
RRF for Polling Stations: There
are report of missing RRFs for large number of Polling Stations in
the North Region especially in Port Loko, Tonkolili, Koinadugu and
Kambia.
RRF
not Signed: In
the Western Area and the Northern Region some NEC officials refused
SLPP agents access to Result Reconciliation Forms (RRFs). A good
number of SLPP agents were reported that they were asked to sign
blank RRFs which were later filled in by NEC staff when the agents
left the center. There are currently blank and signed RRFs in
possession of SLPP. While we admit that party poll watching is a
responsibility of political parties, we believe that NEC staff have
the sacred responsibility of ensuring that results in each polling
station reflects the mandate of voter.
People
without Voter IDs and not on the Voter Register were allowed to Vote
by Certain NEC Officials in many places in Makeni and Diang Chiefdom
in Koinadugu District.
Reports
stating that 64 Ballot Boxes in Quarantine (no indication of origin
of the boxes) and 9 Envelopes from Kono have been Tampered with.
We
have evidence of several instances where our supporters had already
been voted and signed for by the time they arrived at the polling
stations. Examples include Buxton School, Polling Center 14149 in
Constituency 107.

If
not appropriately addressed, these unfortunate incidences have not
only the potential to undermine the credibility of the election
results but have the tendency to derail our effort to consolidate our
hard earned peace and sustain our democratization process. We
therefore once more assert our position that we are only willing to
accept results from an election that is considered credible.

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