Statement by President of SLAJ, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, at the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) Annual General Meeting 2023 at Fabulous Resort, York Village, Western Rural District, Sierra Leone on Friday 17th March 2023.

Opening Courtesies…

I bring you warm felicitations from the National and Regional Executives and Members of SLAJ.

I am extremely honoured to be invited to be part of this panel discussion on *’Ensuring free, fair and non-violent Parliamentary and Presidential Elections on 24th June 2023’*.

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The SLBA has been a long-standing trusted friend of SLAJ, dating back to the 1970s, 80s, 90s…to now. At your last AGM Madam President, I did mention in my statement that because of this relationship the two professions are becoming so inextricably tied that we now have members on both sides.

So, in the not-too-distant future, we will have a member of SLAJ elected President of the Bar, and a member of the Bar becoming President of SLAJ.

Now, I think we need to underscore that free, fair and non-violent elections is critical to the development of any democratic society.

Modern democracies have succeeded or failed depending on how free, fair, peaceful, and credible their elections have been.

Elections are a fundamental aspect of democracy, providing citizens with the power to elect their leaders and hold them accountable.

However, recent global events have highlighted that this is not always the case, with many countries experiencing electoral violence and fraud.

According to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), there were 180 elections worldwide by 2020, and only 63% of them were considered free and fair. In Africa, the numbers are even worse, with only 37% of elections being free and fair within the same period. Of course, the recent elections in Kenya and Nigeria are not captured in that statistics. This is a significant challenge that needs to be addressed to promote democracy and stability in Africa and other regions worldwide.

To ensure free, fair, and non-violent elections, starts with information. If the information about the elections is not correct or credible the outcome will also not be credible. Citizens need the right information to help them make informed choices about who should lead them. And that’s where the media comes in.

To ensure free, fair, and non-violent elections also requires all stakeholders to play their roles professionally and effectively. One of the critical stakeholders in this regard is the media, whose role cannot be overemphasized.

ROLE OF THE MEDIA

1. Provide accurate information: The media has a crucial role to play in providing accurate and unbiased information to citizens about the elections.

2. The media as watchdog: The media serves as watchdog during the electioneering period by monitoring the electoral process and reporting irregularities, thereby promoting transparency and accountability.

3. Voter Education:
The media also plays a crucial role in educating voters on their rights and responsibilities, thereby promoting an informed electorate.

Voters need to be educated also about the electoral system and processes- how to register to vote, how to verify your name on the voters list, how to collect your voter ID, how to vote on polling day.

Voters further need to be educated about electoral laws and punishment; and about the candidates and political parties that are contesting the elections and their track-records and manifestos.

4. Provide equal access: The media should make its platform accessible by/to all candidates, all political parties, and the ordinary people, including minority groups, without discrimination.

5. Promote dialogue:
The media should promote dialogue among politicians and citizens during the elections through the organisation of political debates and discussion programs.

6. Setting the agenda: Another important role of the media is to set the agenda for the elections by ensuring that the issues that are closest to the heart of the voters are being discussed by the politicians.

7. Collaboration: There is also the collaborative role of the media, working with other stakeholders- the EMBs, Security sector, Civil society orgainsations, etc- to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections.

8. Training: And then there is the aspect of training of journalists reporting on the elections to ensure ethical standards, professionalism and non-partisanship or independence throughout the electoral cycle.

CHALLENGES
According to the latest reports by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sierra Leone’s media environment is generally free and diverse, with hundreds of radio stations and newspapers, as well as TV stations and online news portals operating in the country.

1. Intimidation and Harassment: However, there have been instances of media intimidation, harassment, and censorship by the government, security forces, and political parties and their fanatic supporters.

In the 2018 elections, there were also cases of hate speech, fake news, and incitement to violence by some media outlets, which contributed to the tense atmosphere and electoral disputes.

2. Digital Space: Another challenge is the digital space which is now commonly called social media. The traditional or legacy media has no more control over content creation as anyone with a smart phone can now easily create their own content and post on the information highway. Issues of fake news, disinformation, propaganda and hate speech and inciteful messages are common place in this new and diverse space, thereby confusing the voters on what to believe and not to believe.

3. Media poverty: There is also the challenge of media poverty which is making journalists vulnerable to the dictates of politicians.

ROLE OF SLAJ

As the umbrella body for the media in Sierra Leone, SLAJ is working with several donor partners including the National Democratic Institute (NDI), National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Irish Aid, UK Aid (FCDO), the EU, the UNDP, and the Elections Commission Sierra Leone (ECSL) to implement projects aimed at ensuring free, fair, inclusive, transparent, and non-violent elections.

To implement these projects, SLAJ is working in partnership with local stakeholders including the Independent Media Commission (IMC), the Independent Radio Network (IRN), Talking Drum Studio, the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG), and the Inter Religious Council (IRCSL).

The projects include training of journalists on elections reporting, regulations governing the print and electronic media, the journalists’ code of conduct, conflict and gender sensitive reporting, and countering disinformation and hate speech and inciteful messages around the elections.

CONCLUSION
To ensure that the 2023 elections are free, fair, and non-violent, the media should focus on the following aspects:

Providing accurate, balanced, and factual information to voters, candidates, and stakeholders, including on the electoral laws, procedures, and results.

Avoiding sensationalism, propaganda, and hate speech that could incite violence, discrimination, or prejudice against any group or individual.

Promoting ethical standards and professional conduct among journalists, editors, and media owners, through training, codes of ethics, and self-regulation mechanisms.

Monitoring and reporting on electoral irregularities, malpractices, and violence, with due diligence and impartiality, to help prevent or redress any violations of the law or human rights.

Collaborating with the electoral management body, civil society, and other stakeholders to promote a peaceful and inclusive electoral environment, through public debates, voter education, and conflict prevention initiatives.

Photo: SLAJ President signing the SLBA York Declaration, committing the media to free, fair and non-violent elections.