Survey Reveals Only 41% of Youths Familiar With PR System

During the unveiling of the National Council for Civic Education participation survey on youth political engagement in Elections at Bank Complex Kingtom, Freetown, Andrew Lavalie, the lead investigator, disclosed that only 41% of young individuals are familiar with the proportional representation system (PR).

Lavalie also highlighted the survey’s discovery that limited comprehension of electoral processes and mechanisms hinders youth involvement in politics. Furthermore, the study found that 25% of young people are willing to actively engage in and discourage election violence.

Lavalie emphasized that a significant number of young individuals hold the belief that their lives will undergo positive changes if the political party they support wins the elections.

The survey results further indicated that approximately 85% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the voter registration process, while 75% were content with the voter identification card.

In addition, Kalilu Ibrahim Totangi, the Chairman of the National Council for Civic Education and Democracy, stated that the survey findings would be utilized to develop informative and educational materials for the public regarding the upcoming June 24th, 2023 elections.

Enrico Sborgi, a representative from the European Union, emphasized the importance of political participation as one of the pillars of representative democracy, alongside political pluralism.

Sborgi highlighted how civic and voter education play crucial roles in encouraging political engagement, and he regarded the survey results as indispensable for shaping voter education strategies and targeted content.

These findings will support various organizations, including NACCED and ECSI, in designing voter education outreach initiatives tailored to different participant groups, utilizing innovative approaches such as custom messages broadcasted through community radios.

The European Union-supported IDEA program will play a vital role in utilizing the survey findings to foster political participation in Sierra Leone.