AYV News, June 13, 2024
His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has assured that he is will never shed the blood of any one person in order to continue to stay at State House.
He was addressing stakeholders, government officials and representatives from all political parties at the presentation of the 2023 Combined Annual and Election Report from the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (EC-SL) at State House yesterday.
President Bio said: “I have put my life on the line for this country. Some of those we fought battles defending this country are not here to tell this story, I see myself as fortunate. So, I am never going to shed the blood of one person in order to continue to stay at State House and that is my pledge to this nation”.
His Excellency emphasised the vital necessity of peace for investment and economic growth in Sierra Leone, as well as reiterating the significance of his international trips, whiles expressing dismay that investors will not want to come to Sierra Leone upon hearing some bad people making threats on the internet to come out and cause unrest in the nation.
He used the opportunity to make an unreserved apology on behalf of those inciter and encouraged investors not to heed to those threats.
He thanked the Chief Electoral Commissioner and all the commissioners for a job well done in the conduct of the 2023 multi-tier elections, describing their task as difficult but confirmed that voters appreciated them very well for conducting what he called ‘Saful elections.’
He underscored that no election in the world had been conducted successfully without questions, “For democratic nations like Sierra Leone to survive amidst the global financial crisis, my government decided to finance the country’s elections for the first time even when they had just come out of COVID-19 crisis,” the president said.
President Bio said democracy is all about trust in the rule of law and respect for national institutions and those serving in those institutions. He recalled that when he first contested elections in the country in 2012, counting was ongoing when the then chief electoral commissioner announced the results of the presidential election.
He said he did not plunge into violence but went to court to seek redress over his dissatisfaction with the result but later acknowledged that, because of his love for the country and respect for the court decision, he had to accept the results all in the name of democracy.
President Bio called on citizens to be law-abiding and confirmed that “there will be no more presidential elections in this country until 2028. This is a fact, and I am calling on politicians and all citizens to stop misleading our people and focus on keeping ourselves as Sierra Leoneans now focusing on Feed Salone”.
Chairman of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (EC-SL), Mohamed Konneh highlighted that the reports had provided a comprehensive review of the critical electoral processes that contributed to the peaceful, free, fair, and inclusive participation in the 2023 presidential elections.
He stated that the presentation is a constitutional requirement for the EC-SL, adding that the reports examined the implementation of the 2020–2024 strategic plan and the recommendations from the 2018 Election Observation Mission.
During the period under review, the Commission prioritised the implementation of 167 key activities outlined in the plan, of which 108 had been fully implemented, 25 had been partially implemented, 26 were being implemented and 8 were yet to be implemented.
“The 2023 multi-tier elections met international and national best practices and standards, positively impacting female participation in elected positions,” he said.
He said due to their significant achievement, the country could serve as a model in the sub-region, especially in the electoral inclusion process, noting that the peaceful conduct of the elections and the timely announcement of election results had set a new milestone for the 2023 elections.
In a similar development, European Union, through International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, supported a participative and inclusive institutional assessment of the Political Parties Regulation Commission since September 2023.
This effort has culminated in the launch of the Political Parties Registration Commission’s (PPRC) Strategic Plan 2024-2028, unveiled this morning in Freetown. The Plan is crucial for the PPRC to continue its mission of consolidating democracy in Sierra Leone.
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance works to support and strengthen democratic institutions and processes around the world, to develop sustainable, effective and legitimate democracies.
