Rev. James Lahai, National Election Watch revealed that his Organisation has recruited special observers that will follow the movement of elections sensitive materials across the country.
He disclosed that the work of the special observers will start from the day that ballot papers and reconciliation forms, being the two most sensitive materials jet into the country.
Confirmed sources at the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone have it that the two most sensitive elections materials will jet on Saturday, 17th June 2023 at the country’s International Airport, Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom, North-West Region, Port Loko District, Sierra Leone.
Rev. Lahai made the statement at the recently National Stakeholders Conference organized by International IDEA on the level of preparedness by the country’s Election Management Bodies (EMD).
With technical support from International IDEA, all NEW observers will be using electronic tablets that have already been configured.
He said out of eleven thousand (11,000) polling centers across the country, NEW will be able to make themselves visible in seven hundred and fifty (750) polling centres, attributed the reason to funding constrains.
Rev. Lahai remains hopeful because the Europeans Union has promised Eight Hundred and Twenty Thousand Euros (820,000) that was yet to materialize at the time of making the statement.
He added the organisation is set in an event the presidential election attracts a run-off.
He said all seven thousand and fifty observed trained, with five observers per polling station.
The Registrar, High Court of Sierra Leone, Kotor S. Kamara alluded that the judiciary has an important role when it comes to elections.
He said the judiciary took a critical look at the reports on European Union and ECOWAS on elections offences in the previous elections.
According to High Court Registrar, the judiciary came to the realization that the problem was the legal regulatory framework.
“2007 Election Petition Rules was litigant driven that led to cost implications and delay, High Court Registrar said.
Unlike the 2020 Election Petition Rules, justice is quick and cheap, he said.
He explained further that the previous petition rules provides for seven stages of filing papers while the current only makes provision for three stages, with no time line provided for fear of abuse by lawyers.
Kamara said seventy-two (72) judges currently waiting to be assigned.
He noted that a training manual on the new Election Offences and Petitions had been used to trained magistrates, judges and registrars.
A compendium of electoral offences will be launched soonest, Registrar of the High Court assured.
He attributed fake news, hate speech and misinformation as factors for most political violence in Sierra Leone and Africa in general.
The High Court has gone through what he referred to as a systemic shift in other to regain its lost glory and expedite cases brought before the court.
