The newly elected executive members of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) Party, have hosted a high-level delegation from the Commonwealth Secretariat to discuss the Party’s preparedness for the upcoming multi-tier elections in June this year.

Among other closed-door discussions, the meeting discussed readiness, challenges and success plans for the APC before, during and after its National Delegates’ Conference and how prepared the party has strategically positioned itself to regain governance after June 24, 2023.

The Commonwealth Assistant Secretary-General for Governance and Peace Directorate, Professor Luis G. Franceschi said: “I am very pleased and honoured to be here with my team and thank you very much for the reception in Sierra Leone. You have treated us very well, and it is beautiful to be back in Sierra Leone.

The role the Commonwealth has played in helping Sierra Leone’s development has been described as making it “a relevant stakeholder” in the country’s progress.

In 2018, the Secretariat deployed an expert to help the National Electoral Commission with its preparations for the 2018 elections.

A Commonwealth Observer Group was deployed to observe the elections.

The Secretariat worked with Sierra Leone through the Commonwealth Elections Professionals Initiative to improve skills and career progression in elections management and the civil service.

The Commonwealth Assistant Secretary-General for Governance and Peace Directorate was accompanied by Dr. Michelle Scobie, Head of Commonwealth Good Offices, and Abubakar Abdullahi, Peace and Development Officer in the Good Offices, Governance, and Peace Directorate.