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Popular Lawyer and Former President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association, Basita Michael has described the Electoral Commission For Sierra Leone (ECSL) as failing “woefully” for failing to discharge its duties in a manner that could have resulted in an unquestionable victory for President Bio.
Her comments follow the declaration of the presidential election results on Tuesday which saw incumbent President Julius Maada Bio of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) declared winner, defeating Dr Samura Kamara of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) Party.
Kamara and the APC have refused to accept the result, describing it as a “daylight robbery”. Many international election observers also highlighted problems with transparency in the tallying process of the election results. National Election Watch (NEW), an election monitoring group that deployed observers in all polling stations across the country also said that the results declared by the ECSL show there are inconsistencies.
Reacting to issues surrounding the election, Basita Michael expressed deep concern over the actions of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), stating that they have caused controversy and raised doubts about the credibility of the election results.
She emphasized that the ECSL’s failure to address the concerns raised by international observers and monitoring groups like National Election Watch (NEW) is a disservice not only to the commission itself and the country’s democracy but also to President Bio.
Michael hopes that President Bio’s call for collaboration with the APC and other political parties will lead to compromises and a framework that can bridge the political divide, fostering peace and unity in the nation.
“In light of the international observers statements on the lack of transparency in the counting process and NEW’s findings that no Presidential candidate won 55 percent of the vote in the first round and Nick Cheeseman’s cynical commentary that” only amateurs rig this late this badly and this blatantly”, I think it is absolutely important to state that the ECSL has done a great disservice not only to itself and our democracy but also to President Bio. By proceeding to announce the final results without pausing to take meaningful steps to address the concerns raised by the observers and in particular NEW, the ECSL woefully failed to discharge its duties in a manner that could have resulted into an unquestionable victory for President Bio.
No matter what the spin doctors will say, unfortunately the ECSL has caused and attracted lots of controversy leaving a dark cloud hanging over the credibility of the election results.
We can only hope that with the call of the President to work with the APC and all other political parties, compromises will be reached within a framework that will close the political divide and allow peace and unity to prevail.”
You know it comes down to this – We can’t change our circumstances but we can choose our attitude, we can’t control others but we can control ourselves! So do learn some manners miss Besita the ECSL boss he is the only to pronounced result in Sierra Leone so we are sorry take a seat and relax.
I think she wanna call her own results, if that what you want we can give the opportunity.
Thank you for your concern.
Then it’s unprofessional, our nation put their trust in the ECSL to be transparent and here you’re telling the outstanding lady, that knows what she’s saying, not being gullible like yourself yo take a sit, just keep quiet and support fraud. Some people don’t sell their integrity. How unruly you are to say that, with your lack of well constructed sentence. Shame.
No know, when all is said and done Samura is not a presidential material. The man does inspire anybody. I look everywhere for materials to pitch him to others and could not anything of substance on him. This Basita woman is a sore loser. Her uninspiring candidate did and will win election in the country. Bye loser and election denier
Banister just close your dirty mouth because your barking can not change anything. We trust ECSL if the APC does not. So shut up.
Some of you Idiot don’t think about the betterment of mama salone we only think about your party the incredibility of the ECSL is boldly written on the wall the result is not fair
Please, let’s be reasonable and respect our individual views. Let’s be cautious and selective of words that are fit for purpose.
When it’s favor you it’s good.
This elections has been rigged from the very start of the entire process and I will tell you for free that this is a four years calculated ploy that has just manifest itself yesterday. This is a disgrace to our fledgling democracy, thanks to NEW for being there for the majority of Sierra Leoneans, and respects to all international observers for condemning ECSL for abysmal performance.
Basitar is a true Seirra Leonean.
Why people are using bad words against the woman?
She’s saying the truth.
All I know, the 24 June,2023 election conducted in Sierra Leone was not credible
Corruption is the benchmark of this nation.people just concern about themselves and tribe and ignor the truth that will promote peace and unity in this nation instead they are calling black white when it is black.We are going no where if we don’t speak and do the right thing.No prayer can stop it but is our attitudes that require change for better Sierra leone.
May God bless you Basista u put thinks straight
May the Lord have mercy upon Sierra Leone, this election wasn’t free and fair…
Our election wasn’t free and fair…
Lawyer or whatever you call yourself be yourself and make your judgement elsewhere. The president have be announced so find something to do.
The problems concerning the political divide will never be solved except people are ready to face the harsh realities. How would you actually expect APC to have won this election when they had antagonized the Mende and Kono people through serious motherly evectives (mammy cuss). How would they have won when they tribalized politics in Sierra Leone calling the Mendes, dogs, Mendecrats and other obscene names. How would they win when they threatened to kill the Mende people if they win the election. How would they have won when they refused to register? Foolishly they went to vote enmass when they knew very well that they did not registerb just to create confusion. If it were not bcos of the education, civilization and tolerance of the Mende people Sierra Leone would have been at war today, bcos there are thousands of Temnes and Limbas in the south east doing effective businesses without any disturbances. Some of them are in places of authority in mende land owing to the democratic lifestyle of the Mende people. The Mendes are the only tribe in Sierra Leone who give chieftaincy right to women. Until we categorically identify the Temnes and the Limbas as the most unreasonable, tribalistic and lawless tribes in Sierra Leone and teach them to love one another political divides will never end in Sierra leone
The problem of some people in this country is that, they love their political party more than the country.
I wish they could open their eyes and see the truth someday.
Sierra Leone is our land and country.
Why are we allowing these political parties to separate us to the extent of killing ourselves?
We all know deep down in our conscience that, all that is happening now in Sierra Leone is caused by the ECSL and some SLPP supporters.
ECSL has spoiled our honour to democracy and left us with grievances amongst ourselves.
Forget about the party, if anything bad happens to Sierra Leone it happens to us all, it might not be direct, but you are indirectly affected.
Please fellow countrymen we need not fight or threaten each other. What we should be thinking and doing right now is how to embrace each other and live in peace.
“Remember that one good turn deserves another”
When you manufacture figures in elections to suit your godfather you end up in shame, putting our country to shame as if there are no elites in the country look how we have been ridiculed outside Sierra leone.
In African nations today, after every election; whether we like it or not we have observers, and when elections are being conducted, observers come from also different African countries. But people are WAITING; what do the European union/International community SAY? This belief by us, that the EU have a divine duty to tell us what to do, and we have the divine duty to accept to do what they say, is one of the problems we have. It is therefore true that Africans need mental decolonization!
Sierra Leone, when will we be truely objective in our thinking and leave tribal, regional and political sentiments behind and call things by their true name? Mind you, those of you who go on hailing the criminal act done byy ECSL will in a short while begin to cry difficulty in the country. At that time please reflect on the day you were jubilating over the atrocious behaviour of ECSL to mortgage the integrity of not only ECSL but the entire Sierra Leonean at international level. Now after all the humiliation, killing and stealing I see people starting to talk about peace and reconciliation when kamajors (local militia trained by Bio) to detroy this country are busy doing so.
Are we really serious and objective in the way we think and do things. Hmmmm.