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The Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) has commenced a nationwide consultation tour, starting in Kenema, to gather stakeholder input for its 2025-2029 strategic plan, as the nation looks ahead to the 2028 elections.
This initiative comes amidst ongoing international and domestic concerns regarding the credibility of the June 2023 elections.
The 2023 election results have been widely disputed, with the United States, ECOWAS, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and local organizations, including the National Elections Watch (NEW), raising serious doubts about their legitimacy.
The US has even imposed travel bans on individuals suspected of election fraud, and both the US and international bodies have called for the ECSL to release detailed polling station results – a request the Commission has yet to fulfill. Opposition parties have also alleged obstruction of their representatives during the election, particularly in the South-East regions.
Despite these concerns, ECSL Chairman Mohamed K. Konneh maintains that the 2023 elections were conducted fairly and credibly. He cited legal constraints, stating that the Public Elections Act mandates the release of certified district results, not polling station data.
In Kenema, over 100 stakeholders, including political party representatives, civil society organizations, traditional leaders, and community members, participated in the consultation. ECSL’s Western Region Commissioner, Zainab Moseray, emphasized the importance of citizen input in electoral planning.
Chairman Konneh highlighted the ECSL’s achievements and challenges under its current strategic plan (2020-2024), noting an 85% implementation rate of planned activities. He also acknowledged areas needing improvement, particularly regarding results management and legal reforms. The ongoing Tripartite Committee review of the electoral system, including the potential shift from Proportional Representation to First-Past-the-Post, was also discussed.
The consultation tour aims to inform the development of the ECSL’s next five-year strategic plan, which is expected to be finalized by the end of the year. The ECSL has stated that this process is designed to foster a more participatory and transparent electoral framework ahead of the 2028 elections, even as questions about the 2023 elections remain.
The same ECSL that conducted the rigged 2023 elections set to conduct the 2028 elections? Repeating the same thing/act and expecting a different result? Ahpolleh…nar dae now
Mohamed Konneh doesn’t deserve to live at all for committing treason against the state. MAADA BIO woefully lost the June 24th, 2023 multi tier elections to Dr. Samura MW Kamara who will be declared winner, and Mohamed Konneh and MAADA BIO, and all those deemed to have undermined democracy including the APC EXECUTIVE MEMBERS sent to jail forever. We’ll continue to sensitise the people of Sierra Leone on their rights as citizens.
They are spending money in other ways but they failed to pay us our monies after all the humiliation and suffering we through