By Henry Kargbo

The Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone has announced that two million six hundred and thirteen thousand six hundred and fifty-five voter cards have been collected. This disclosure was Monday 17 April 2023 made by the ECSL Chairman and Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh, at a news conference held at the commission’s headquarters on AOU Driver Tower Hill in Freetown, where the elections management Chief disclosed that about 2,613,655 voters have collected their voter identity cards so far. He said last Sunday 16^th April 2023 marked the end of the collection of the voter identity cards throughout the ten days adding that the process had been generally peaceful.

Konneh informed journalists that five thousand and twenty-five (5, 25) photo-less registrants and five hundred and two (502) mismatched and nine thousand and sixty-one (9,061) misplaced voter cards. He added that the procedures dealing with cases that were strictly followed during the exercise.

Commissioner Konneh told journalists that the collection of voter cards will continue at various district offices nationwide from Monday24th April 2023, adding that the ECSL has signed contract with twenty-five (25) Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to strengthen Electoral Education and Sensitization on the Proportional Representation System with financial support from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

He quoted Section 33 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, the ECSL conducted the nomination of candidates for the elections of Paramount Chief, Members of Parliament in 14 ECSL District offices nationwide successfully excluding the Western Areas.

The ECSL Chairman Konneh disclosed that after the close of nominations on Sunday 1^st April 2023, the commission administered only one PCMP candidate nomination in the following districts Kailahun, Kono, Tonkolili, Port Loko, Kerene, Bo and Moyamba.