By Alfred Koroma
The Chairperson of the National Elections Watch (NEW), Marcella Samba-Sesay has said her organization is set to observe June 24 elections.
Marcella Samba said this at the launching of the organization’s Elections Observation Strategy at the New Brookfields Hotel on Friday. The strategy provides a framework on how NEW will observe the June 2023 elections in Sierra Leone.
According to the document, NEW will provide series of election observers, including 488 Ward Election Material Movement Observers (WEMMOs), Incident Reporters, Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT), Tally Centre Observers to monitor the June elections processes across the country.
Speaking at the launching of the elections monitoring plan, Marcella Samba described citizens observers as very crucial in every democracy and called on Sierra Leoneans to have confidence in the electoral processes that the ECSL will be putting forward.
“I am giving you that assurance because, us as citizens, will be present in a very transparent manner to verify and authenticate the proceedings that will be happening in the polling stations, she said. “Our structure, right from the national level, we are all set to observe June 24 2023 election.”
In his key keynote address, the Head of EU Delegation in Sierra Leone, Amb. Manuel Muller said, that EU sent elections observers’ mission in Sierra Leone is a recognition that Sierra Leone has gone an important step from civil war to a democracy where a change of power through elections have occurred. With that, Amb. Muller said it is good to see Sierra Leoneans go to peaceful and credible elections in June.
Other partners supporting the National Election Watch also graced the launching of the organization’s 2023 elections strategy, assuring their continued support to the election monitoring body.