By Amin Kef (Ranger)
On the 24th June, 2023 voting took place right across Sierra Leone in a General Elections geared towards instituting a new Government in the country. Though it is the rainy season, however, the weather was very friendly making room for many eager Sierra Leoneans to turn out in large numbers to cast their votes.
When this medium went out and about various Polling Centres to observe the conduct of the election it discovered that at certain Polling Centres eager voters were complaining seriously about having Voter ID Cards that were issued to them at the same centres where they went to vote but surprisingly and to their chagrin their names could not be traced in the Voter Registers. The response that was received from the ECSL personnel was that the affected persons should wait until 2:00 PM when the pressure from the queues of voters that have been formed may have declined.
At one Polling Station in the West End of Freetown, precisely back of Hill Station it was alleged that there was a discovery of ballot papers that had already been voted upon. A suspected SLPP Party Agent to beaten to pulp and has to be rushed to a nearby hospital. However, when it was enquired it was learnt that the so called tampered ballot papers were just specimen of ballot papers that were used to show how people should vote.
So far the voter turnout was indeed high and the voting process was very expeditious with a voter using less than five minutes to cast his or her votes. There were few incidences of outburst of violence in some areas purely based on suspicions of foul play.
Reports received from the provinces also pain a similar picture of what transpired in Freetown.
Voting is expected to stop at 5:00 but, according to the ECSL, those already captured in queues would be given the opportunity to cast their votes.
According to ECSL, manual counting will commence immediately after voting in the presence of International, Local Observers and Party Agents.
It must be noted that 13 Candidates and political parties contested the elections even though heavily dominated by the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the main opposition, All-People’s Congress (APC).
Both the SLPP and APC were going head-to-head, actively campaigning and disseminating key messages to the electorate and voting was competitive as incumbent President Julius Maada Bio of the SLPP, seeks a second five-year term, against his major contender, Samura Kamara of the APC.
We pray that ECSL do the needful things to mind some of the complains the electorate put out , some polling stations late to start the voting process.