Civil Society Activist, Edmond Abu has called for European Union to apologise to Sierra Leoneans and the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (EC-SL) over what he described as their recent Elections Report.
Though there are challenges, he admitted via a Facebook Post that EU report came back to say His Excellency, President Bio win on a 1st Ballot with 56.17% according to the EC-SL. He justified that the EU pushed Sierra Leoneans to the edge and it could have been chaos.
His Facebook post reads: “What an Unspeakable Hypocrisy! So the EU report Came back to say HE Bio win on 1st Ballot with 56.17% so Why this fuss? Can you apologies to EC-SL and Sierra Leoneans for pushing our nation to the edge? If not for God it could have been chaos.”
Chief Observer Evin Incir from the European Union, representing the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), has formally presented the much-anticipated Final Report on the 2023 elections to President Bio and the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone Commissioner-in- Charge Edmond Alpha.
According to President Bio, the Final Report would serve as a valuable resource material for The National Electoral Systems Review Committee, which holds the mantle of evaluating existing legal frameworks, institutional arrangements and Observer Mission Reports to improve the electioneering process in Sierra Leone.
Affirming that they remain committed, as always, to addressing the recommendations of all Observer Mission Reports as they did in the past in our efforts to propose vital reforms to strengthen Sierra Leone’s electoral system.
Commissioner Alpha received the report on behalf of the chief Electoral Commissioner Mohamed K. Konneh and Board of Commissioners at the ECSL Conference Hall in Freetown.
This all-encompassing report stands as a testament to the EU EOM’s commitment to promoting transparency and accountability in electoral processes. It presents a well-substantiated overview of Sierra Leone’s 2023 elections. During the report presentation, Chief Observer Evin Incir emphasized its significance, asserting that it offers a comprehensive, evidence-based account of the election proceedings while also providing 21 noteworthy recommendations.
In her words, “This report gives a comprehensive, evidence-based account of the 2023 elections and offers 21 recommendations.”
These 21 recommendations are poised to address various facets of the electoral process, encompassing topics like voter registration, polling procedures, and campaign protocols. They are expected to serve as a valuable reference point for Sierra Leone’s government and electoral authorities as they endeavor to bolster the fairness and credibility of forthcoming elections.
This presentation signifies a significant milestone in Sierra Leone’s ongoing quest to fortify its democratic processes. The EU EOM’s report is poised to wield substantial influence in shaping the direction of future elections within the country.
Meanwhile, this is the fifth time that the European Union has observed general elections in Sierra Leone, which reflects the EU’s long-term commitment to supporting credible, transparent, and inclusive elections in the country.
The EU EOM is composed of different groups of observers. The Core Team consists of 10 election experts who arrived in Freetown on 11 May 2023. On 20 May, 28 long-term observers joined the mission and were deployed across the country and follow the election campaign.
