By: Aruna Kamara (BO)
As part of its preparedness for the 2023 elections, the Regional Office of the Electoral Commission Sierra Leone held a one-day stakeholders dialogue meeting at the SLOIC Hall in Bo on Tuesday.
The meeting brought together the Sierra Leone Police, the Republic of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces, Civil Society, Political Parties, Ministries, Departments, youth groups and the Media.
The Southern Regional Commissioner of the Electoral Commission-Sierra Leone, Edmond Sylvester Alpha said that the meeting was designed to give an update on the electoral activities and the current position of the commission concerning the conduct of voter registration, boundary delimitation and preparedness for the conduct of the 2023 elections.
He said that the commission has started implementing activities relating to the conduct of the voter education process as voter registration kits have arrived in the country with the software already installed.
Mr Alpha cautioned that they want the election to be peaceful and that they will not allow anybody to hijack leadership or power by forceful means or in the form of insurrection or terrorist act, or perpetuate any tension or any form of violence.
Sierra Leoneans he said tasted the bitterness of the rebel war and do not want a repeat of that as the people want to have peaceful Sierra Leone, adding that we have achieved peace and want to consolidate it.
“I am not only talking in a capacity as an electoral commissioner but as a peaceful Sierra Leonean. We will not allow anybody to destabilise this country and where you fire the bullet we will go there and meet you,” he said.
He maintained that we have tasted the war and we know what it means and encourage all Sierra Leoneans to uphold the tenets of democracy in the country.
He pointed out that during the election you can vote for the candidate of your choice and remain to be peaceful. We advise the media not to be partisan in the discharge of their duties.”