December 6, 2021
By: PROBLYN J. ALPHA
The National Electoral Commission (NEC) Director of operations, Mohamed Turay has revealed that at least twenty three (23) ballots papers were missing from polling Station one at the UMC Primary school Yayah centre with code 03131 of the just concluded ward 091 Local Council bye-election at the Yawantanda section constituency 027 in Sandor Chiefdom, Kono District.
Mr Turay made this pronouncement when addressing the press on the outcome of the just concluded bye election in the district.
He told the press that the reconciliation, sorting and counting of the Yayah ballots were done at a stakeholders meeting held at the Electoral Commission Kono office in the municipality of Koidu on Tuesday 16th November, 2021.
He added that the meeting was held with directive from the NEC Commissioner and the National returning officer, Mohamed Kenawai Konneh in order to discussed issues relating to the just concluded bye- election in ward 091 with special reference to polling centre 03131 UMC Primary School, Yayah.
It could be recalled that, two polling stations results for the aforementioned venues were not centred into the result database due to the violence that ensued at the time erupted the process. In view of the above, the commission suspended the announcement of the final and certified result of the election and instituted that a forensic audit of the votes cast be conducted, Mr Turay explained.
While referring to the reconciliation, sorting and counting processes of the results by NEC as scam, untrue and undemocratic representatives and candidates of the Independent and the main opposition APC parties worked out of the stakeholders meeting.
However, after the reconciliation, sorting and counting were done for code 03131 UMC Primary school, Yayah, the following provisional results were emerged ; polling station one, SLPP, 30 Independent 66, C4C 52, APC 2. RUFP 4 and invalid votes 4. While Polling station two, Independent 78, SLPP 38, C4C 46, APC 2, RUFP 4 and 4 invalid votes respectively.