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In a significant effort to promote peaceful, credible, and inclusive elections on June 24, 2023, the National Youth Commission of Sierra Leone (NAYCOM), with support from international partners, has awarded two hundred thousand new Leones (NLe. 200,000.00) financial support to five regional youth group leaders.
The presentation of the cheques took place on Friday, June 9, 2023, during the National Joint Engagement on youth participation in the June elections progress held at the Peace Museum Hall of the Special Court of Sierra Leone in Freetown. This event marked an important milestone in NAYCOM’s ongoing project to foster peaceful and credible elections.
Deputy Commissioner Emerson Kamara of NAYCOM addressed the Election Coordination with Stakeholders on Youth participation and violence-free 2023 elections, highlighting the series of engagements the Commission has undertaken over the past three weeks.
Commissioner Kamara emphasized the Commission’s partnership with external electoral bodies and the youth to ensure peaceful and credible elections. He explained that the financial support provided to the youth group leaders was intended to enable them to engage their peers and promote a peaceful and violence-free electoral process.
Commissioner Emerson Kamara urged the 69% youth voters, who hold a significant stake in the June 24th Multi-tier elections, to take responsibility and avoid making excuses or casting blame. He emphasized the importance of a peaceful electoral process.
During his keynote address, Mr. Albert Massaquoi, the External Outreach Officer of the Election Coordination and Support Laboratory (ECSL), educated participants on the new Proportional Representation (PP) system that would be implemented in the June elections.
He also assured attendees that the eleven thousand eight hundred and thirty-two polling centers across the country would be open on polling day. Mr. Massaquoi stressed the crucial role of youth as stakeholders in elections, emphasizing that the credibility of elections depends on their level of participation. He emphasized that violence has no place in the electoral process, and true participation lies in inclusion.
Highlighting the significance of youth, Madam Ilemobola Ademola Adelelin from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) stated that the youth of Sierra Leone are the strength of both the present and the future, and their engagement will determine the nation’s future. The project receives co-funding from the European Union, Irish Aid, Canada, UNDP, and the Government of Iceland.
Representatives from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) commended the project during their statements and encouraged youth participants to spread the message of non-violence within their families, friends, and communities. Samuel Saio Conteh, speaking on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, delivered key messages of peace for the upcoming public elections on June 24, 2023.
