By Amin Kef-Ranger
In a Press Statement signed on the 28th June 2022 by Mohamed Kenewui Konneh as National Returning Officer, Chairman and Chief Electoral Commissioner it was stated that by the powers vested in him under Section 33 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone, 1991 (Act No.6 of 1991) and pursuant to the provisions of Section 39(1) of the said Constitution, Sections 69 (1) and 70 (1) of the Public Elections Act, 2012 (Act No 4 of 2012), Section 10 (1) of the Local Government Act, 2004 (Act No. 1 of 2004), one Parliamentary Bye-Election was successfully conducted in Tonkolili District, and five Local Council Bye Elections were also conducted in Kenema, Falaba, Karene and Port Loko Districts by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone(ECSL) on the 25th Day of June 2022, in accordance with the relevant electoral legal framework.
It continued that Pursuant to Section 77 (1)(f) and (j) of the Constitution of Sierra Leone,1991 (Act No. 6 of 1991), the Clerk of the House of Parliament notified the Electoral Commission of a vacant seat in Tonkolili District, Constituency 056 following the inauguration ceremony of former Member of Parliament Hon. Alhaji Musa Bamba Foray Kulio Jalloh as Paramount Chief of Sambaia Chiefdom.
Further stated was according to letters from the Chief Administrators from Falaba, Karene and Port Loko District Councils, the vacancies occurred as a result of the death of Councillors in the aforementioned District Councils.
Equally so, according to letters from the Chief Administrators of the Kenema District Council dated 15th November 2021, the vacancy occurred as a result of the appointment of Councillor Ismael Koroma as Chiefdom Speaker in Small Bo Chiefdom, Kenema. District and for Ward 216 in Karene District, the vacancy occurred as a result of a leave of
It was included how Two (2) Political Parties contested the Parliamentary Bye-Election in Constituency 056, Tonkolili District; The All Peoples Congress (APC) and the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) and Four (4) Political Parties contested the Local Council Bye-Election in Ward 031, Kenema District: the People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC), the All Peoples Congress (APC), the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP); Two (2)
Political Parties that contested the Local Council Bye-Election in Ward 138, Falaba District were the All Peoples Congress (APC) and the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP).
Also, Two(2)Political Parties contested the Local Council Bye-Election in Ward 216, Karene District: The All Peoples Congress (APC) and the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP).
In addition, two (2) Political Parties contested the Local Council Bye-Election in Ward 212, Karene District: The All Peoples Congress (APC) and the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP).
Three (03)Political Parties contested the Local Council Bye-Election in Ward 252, Port Loko District; the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) and the All Peoples Congress (APC).
It was stated that the results of the Parliamentary Bye-Election in Constituency o56, Tonkolili District on the 25th June 2022 were as follows: Jawah Sesay of the APC Party obtained total valid votes of 5,487 which is 56.7% of the votes cast. Foyoh Tholley of the SLPP obtained total valid votes of 4,188 which is 43.3% of the votes cast.
In the Kenema Local Bye-Election in Ward 031, Kadiatu Katta of the PMDC obtained 102 of the valid votes which is 2.5%, Momoh Musa of APC secured 814 votes which are 20.4%, Jeneba Sheriff of the SLPP secured 2,993 votes which is 74.8% and Kelvin Samai of the NDA got 91 votes which are 2.3% of the votes cast.
In Falaba District for the Local Council Bye-Election held in Ward 138, the results were: Mohamed Kamara of the APC Party secured total valid votes of 525 is 81.4 % were as Karifa Turay of the SLPP secured 120 votes which is 18.6%
For Local Council Bye-Election in Ward 212 in Karene District, Amadu Kandeh Kamara of the APC secured total valid votes of 408 35.3% of the votes and Mohamed Amara Turay of the SLPP got 747 votes a percentage of 64.7.
In the Local Council Bye-Election in Ward 216 of Karene District, Idrissa Bangura of the APC got 1,227 votes which are 65.3% of the votes cast and Sorie Bangura of the SLPP secured 653 of the votes which are 34.7% of the votes cast.
For the Local Council Bye-Election held in Ward 252 of the Port Loko District the NDA Candidate, Mohamed Abass Bangura secured 43 votes that are 1.9%, the SLPP Candidate, Thomas Kainesie got 559 votes that are 24.7% and James Gassimu Kamara of the APC secured 1,661 votes which are 73.4% of the votes cast.
According to the National Returning Officer in the exercise, of the powers conferred on him by Section 94 Subsection (4) of the Public Elections Act,2012 (Act No. 4 of 2012),
He declares Jawah Sesay of the All Peoples Congress (APC), who had polled 5,487, being the highest number of valid votes cast, duly elected Member of Parliament for Constituency 056 in the Tonkolili District.
Jeneba Sheriff of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), who had polled 2,993, being the highest number of valid votes cast, was duly elected Councillor for Ward 031 in the Kenema District.
Mohamed Kamara of the All Peoples Congress (APC), who had polled 525, being the highest number of valid votes cast, was duly elected Councillor for Ward 138 in the Falaba District.
Mohamed Amara Turay of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), who had polled 747, being the highest number of valid votes cast, was duly elected Councillor for Ward 212 in the Karene District.
Idrissa Bangura of the All Peoples Congress (APC)who has polled 1,227, being the highest number of valid votes cast, was duly elected Councillor for Ward 216 in the Karene District.
James Gassimu Kamara of the All Peoples Congress (APC), who had polled 1,661, being the highest number of valid votes cast, was duly elected Councillor for Ward 252 in the Port Loko District.
