Whilst it is important and a step forward for President Julius Maada Bio to have launched the Independent Cross Party Committee with the mandate to review Sierra Leone’s electoral system and management bodies, it is important to note that credibility and relevance issues are expected to arise in the following weeks over members appointed to this Committee.

It could be recalled that following the announcement of the June 24, 2023 election results, the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party refused to accept the outcome of the results, describing it as rigged and not reflective of the will of the people.

After months of refusal to participate in the governance of the State, a dialogue meeting between the Government of Sierra Leone and the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) to settle the impasse was successfully held and the establishment of an Independent body to examine and review the country’s electoral systems and management bodies, formed part of the recommendations.

As President Julius Maada Bio recently launched the Independent Cross Party Committee with the mandate to review Sierra Leone’s electoral system and management bodies, leader of the All People’s Congress party, Dr. Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara, said they in the APC, believe that, for the Committee to achieve its objectives, it must review the entire electoral processes including pre-election preparations, voter registration, polling procedures and election result analysis.

Dr. Samura Kamara has said what he had long wanted to say. Therefore, it would be incumbent on the part of the members of the Committee to ensure that they stick to the guidelines guiding their mandate and work accordingly so that the process would be credible, transparent and non-partisan for the benefit of all Sierra Leoneans.

Though we hold no brief for the Independent Cross Party Committee, it must be stated that the Sierra Leone and indeed the whole world’s gaze is now looking in their direction, waiting to see how matters would be handled.

This unprecedented move signifies a collective effort to ensure a transparent and effective electoral system, fostering a spirit of inclusivity and collaboration among diverse stakeholders in Sierra Leone.

God help Sierra Leone!