By: Ilyasa Baa
The commission responsible to monitor our democracy has expressed the need for social media users not to ignite conflicts but to behave responsibly so the image of the country will not be tarnished as Sierra Leone is rated as a hybrid nation in terms of democracy.
Rev. Gibril Kargbo happens to be the Director of Information and Communications at the National Commission for Democracy. He said the forth coming election is a crucial one which determines how strong the country is and how far she has come in so far as democracy is concerned. He said the way the elections are conducted is being assessed nationally and internationally to see how citizens participate towards the processes.
“We want to see a violence free election so we won’t have bad name as a country “, he cajoled.
He cautioned social media users not to flame violence over the elections, noting that the space is not meant to be misused but utilized responsibly. He said the Commission has observed with dismay that some people, especially Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora have been misusing the social media to derail the progress the country has made in terms of upholding the principles of democracy and human rights since the 90s.
He emphasized that the Commission deemed it necessary to target first time voters on the need to uphold democracy and stay out of violence. He said members of the public are being sensitized on peaceful 2023 elections by the Commission.