“NEW equally recognizes the important and coordinated role of the security forces through the Office of National Security (ONS) but notes that the security strategy lacks the required funding support and revealed that the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) compromised their impartiality and professionalism in a number of instances,” she said.
She added that the political will for the conduct of the 2018 elections was questionable as slogans depicting deferment of the process came out vividly at the start of the electoral cycle, but public response negating the move did not allow such slogans to survive.
She noted that the election date was only announced when civil society mounted pressure, calling on NEC and the government to announce it.
She sand NEW observed further that delayed funding to NEC to carry out planning and preparation activities for the election resulted in NEC being indebted to vendors, ad-hoc staff and even delayed payment of staff salaries and allowances.
Mrs. Samba-Sesay recalled that about 72 hours to the presidential run-off elections, the Judiciary slammed an injunction on activities of the National Electoral Commission (NEC).
On behalf of NEW, she expressed her unreserved thanks and appreciation to NEC, especially the Chief Electoral Officer, Mohamed N’fa Ali Conteh, for remaining focused amidst calculated attempts to disrupt the process as a way of denying Sierra Leoneans the opportunity to decide and cast their votes in a free, fair and credible election.
NEW is a coalition of over 400 civil society organizations, including both local and international, based in Sierra Leone with a common objective of supporting free, fair and peaceful elections.
OSIWA Country Officer Joe H. Pemagbi launching the report
The Sierra Leone Police (SLP) has been accused of bad policing by the National Election Watch (NEW). In its report, NEW said in observing the 2018 elections, they observed that the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) compromised their impartiality and professionalism in several instances during the past electioneering period.
Reading from a prepared press statement last Saturday during the launch of the report at Hotel Cabenda in Freetown, NEW Chairperson Marcella Samba-Sesay said they observed the entire 2018 electoral cycle from the Boundary Delimitation (BD) onto the immediate post- elections environment.
“NEW equally recognizes the important and coordinated role of the security forces through the Office of National Security (ONS) but notes that the security strategy lacks the required funding support and revealed that the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) compromised their impartiality and professionalism in a number of instances,” she said.
She added that the political will for the conduct of the 2018 elections was questionable as slogans depicting deferment of the process came out vividly at the start of the electoral cycle, but public response negating the move did not allow such slogans to survive.
She noted that the election date was only announced when civil society mounted pressure, calling on NEC and the government to announce it.
She sand NEW observed further that delayed funding to NEC to carry out planning and preparation activities for the election resulted in NEC being indebted to vendors, ad-hoc staff and even delayed payment of staff salaries and allowances.
Mrs. Samba-Sesay recalled that about 72 hours to the presidential run-off elections, the Judiciary slammed an injunction on activities of the National Electoral Commission (NEC).
On behalf of NEW, she expressed her unreserved thanks and appreciation to NEC, especially the Chief Electoral Officer, Mohamed N’fa Ali Conteh, for remaining focused amidst calculated attempts to disrupt the process as a way of denying Sierra Leoneans the opportunity to decide and cast their votes in a free, fair and credible election.
NEW is a coalition of over 400 civil society organizations, including both local and international, based in Sierra Leone with a common objective of supporting free, fair and peaceful elections.