Former Minister under the erstwhile government of Ernest Bai Koroma, Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden called out the Commissioner of ECSL, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh for failing to stick to a timetable issued by the Commission months ago.
The former Social Welfare Minister shared a post from Awareness Times Newspaper that said the ECSL Commissioner promised to publish the names of all nominated Presidential Candidates on 10th May but failed to do without a reason.
“According to the issued Timetable, yesterday May 10tb 2023 was supposed to be the date the Chief Electoral Commissioner will publish the names and details of nominations of each and every one of reportedly 13 Presidential Candidates nominated by 13 of the country’s 17 registered political parties,” the paper read.
It also stated the Commissioner failed to explain the reason for not publishing the list to the general public as it ought to be.
“According to the Laws of the land under Section 46(1) of Public Elections Act No.17 of 2022, when the period for nomination closes, the Chief Electoral Commissioner should ‘immediately’ cause the publication of the Names, Addresses and Occupations of each Presidential Candidate,” the paper noted.
The paper further elucidated that the Commission might be disadvantaging locals who might want to petition any of the nominated candidate since it could only be done after the list is published by the Commissioner.
The sharing of this story by the former APC minister left some worried that he might be plotting to petition her former cabinet colleague cum APC Presidential Candidate before the June polls.
Blyden, however, late on Thursday clarified that she has no intention of petitioning any of the candidates before the 24 June elections.
Accurate woman