As part of preparations towards guaranteeing free, fair, transparent and credible elections come June 24, 2023, the Chief Observer of the European Union Elections Observation Mission (EUEOM) to Sierra Leone, Evin Incir has Tuesday 23rd May 2023 said in Freetown that they will be deploying twenty-eight long-term observers to cover all sixteen districts in Sierra Leone.
Madam Evin Incir who is also a Member of the European Parliament, made the disclosure at a press conference held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Aberdeen in West of Freetown.
Addressing media and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) representatives, she said members of the European Parliament started their observation activities in Freetown on 11 May this year, on the arrival of a core team of ten elections experts.
For the twenty-eight long-term observers, Evin Incir disclosed that they will observe the election preparations, the election campaigns and the activities of electoral stakeholders.
She disclosed that closer to polling day, forty short-term observers will join the EUEOM to observe voting, counting and the tabulations of the results.
She made it categorically clear that a delegation of European Members of European Parliament, approximately ten locally recruited short-term observers from EU diplomatic missions of member states accredited to Sierra Leone shall as well joining the EUEOM to observe the election day proceedings.
EUEOM Chief Observer said at a full strength the EU EOM will comprise some one hundred observers drawn from twenty-six EU member states, including Canada and Norway.
“Our aim in Sierra Leone is to support democratic consolidation. It is a joint responsibility of all political parties, candidates, CSOs, the media, and the electoral administration to maintain a peaceful pre-election environment wherein fundamental rights and freedoms of all Sierra Leonean and respected,” she stated.
She informed that the EUEOM will issue a preliminary statement and hold a press conference in Freetown two days after the elections, adding that the mission will remain in Sierra Leone until the completion of the electoral process, including in case of a second round of the presidential elections.
Madam Evin Incir said the mission will also follow up any potential complaints and appeal process and the final report, offering recommendations for future electoral processes that will be presented thereafter.
She said by saying that the EUEOM is bound by a code of conduct, which requires strict neutrally and non-interference and will undertakes its work in accordance with the declaration of principles for International Election Observation endorsed under United Nations auspices in 2005.
Dilating on social media involvement, Evin Incir said the team will be make-up of special people who will handle and deliver messages on election processes.
