By Alfred Koroma
The Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) in collaboration with International IDEA is holding a two-day stakeholders’ engagement aimed at strengthening the country’s electoral systems and processes.
The Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohammed Konneh said the Commission is engaging the stakeholders to listens to their concerns as the beginning of a rebirth for 2028.
Delivering a statement at the opening of the event on Wednesday, Head of Country Programme, International IDEA, Dr. Idriss Mamoud Tarawally described the engagement as a forward looking gathering; encouraging participants consider it that way.
“We are here today for a forward looking process. I want us to look at this gathering as a forward looking gathering,” he urged.
Dr. Tarawally said like all other elections, concerns were raised in June 2023 election, but hailed the fact that political parties have met and agreed on 80 recommendations to improve the country’s electoral system.
“At International IDEA, we are well happy to be associated with this process,” he said. “We want to make elections better.”
The inter-governmental agency basically works to promote democracy and electoral systems. In promoting democracy, Dr. Tarawally said International IDEA is focused on four key areas: representation, participation, rights and the rule of law.
In his keynote address, Secretary to the President, Dr. Emmanuel Gaima appealed to citizens to respect national institutions and be conscious of the country’s sovereignty. “I want to appeal to us that as Sierra Leoneans, let us try to be conscious. Let us have sovereignty at the center of everything.”
ECSL engagement with stakeholders’ follows the report of the Cross Party Committee on Electoral Systems and Management Bodies Review which is also being considered at the two days engagement. The Committee’s report proffers 80 recommendations targeted at enhancing electoral practices in the country.
But the All Political Parties Association (APPA) expressed concern that the Committee was formed without the direct involvement of all the political parties, recommending that all registered parties be involved in the electoral reform processes.
APPA also called for government to maintain the Proportional Representation (PR) system and lower it threshold to make way for other political parties to be represented in governance.
