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President Julius Maada Bio, in address to the nation on Tuesday night, has promised the 2023 elections to be free and fair.
“As a president of our great republic, I have been entrusted with the duty to uphold the democratic principles that guide our nation’s progress.
“Free and fair elections are a legal requirement and a moral obligation,” the President said.
Bio said his administration believes in fostering unity and democracy while citing the Bintumani III dialogue he proposed in 2019.
He said his government has worked in line with the directives of the conference including the establishment of a Commission for Peace and National Cohesion and enactment of a gender bill.
Bio also spoke on the importance of this year’s elections and rights of citizens to exercise their franchise.
“These elections are not merely a procedural formality; they embody our democratic ideals, where citizen has the privilege to exercise their constitutional right to vote freely and without fair,” Bio said.
He reminded citizens of the 10-year civil war and admonished them to maintain peace as the country is governed by laws.
The President warned citizens not to subvert the peace fought for in the decade civil war for political gains.
Bio’s address came hours after the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) party directed their supporters to a peaceful protest on Wednesday.
The APC Party is dissatisfied with the conduct of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), the body responsible for the conduct of the elections.
The party has referenced irregularities which they believed could lead to rigging.
Sierra Leone will go to the polls in a multitier election on Saturday – three days from now and tension between the ruling SLPP and main opposition APC is already high.
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