By: Hassan Osman Kargbo.
Following the pronouncement of Dr Julius Maada Bio as the winner of the Presidential Election by the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone, Mohamed K. Konneh, the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party has vehemently denounced the credibility of the June 24 Presidential election results. The APC made this statement in a press release dated on 29th June 2023.
According to the leading opposition party, the final presidential results pronounced by the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the ECSL, were not the true representation of the total number of valid votes cast in each district on Saturday 24 June this year. The APC continued that the result announced by Konneh didn’t represent the actual results tallied at polling stations and districts.
“The results announced by Konneh do not represent a true picture of results tallied at polling stations and the district. Konneh made the pronouncement even when results in the district tally centers had NOT been tallied and certified by ECSL’s District Returning Officers and our party agents,” the opposition APC press release states.
It furthered that their party understood that the ECSL Chief Electoral Commissioner also want to announce a mayoral candidate in Freetown based on what they called ‘concocted results’ which do not also reflect the true representation of the valid votes cast.
The APC furthered warned the ECSL Chief Electoral Commissioner not to make such pronouncement because according to the opposition party it would create chaos for citizen in the country.
They also urged the ECSL boss to ensure that all the votes cast for the presidential and mayoral candidates be counted, verified and certified by polling stations, with the full participation of their party’s agent and observers.
“The APC party urges the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the ECSL to ensure that votes cast for the presidential and mayoral candidates be counted, verified and certified by polling stations, with the full participation of our party’s agent and observers – both domestic and international, before the mayoral results are pronounced,” they stated.
They furthered reiterated that presidential election results were not credible, and they won’t accept the results without the results being verified and certified by their party representatives and observers. They reaffirmed their commitment in ensuring that they deployed every effort to see the will of the people is protected.
