Chief Electoral Commissioner (CEC) of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Mohamed K. Konneh has warned all those who do not have any related activity towards the Koinadugu District Local Council bye-election to keep away.
Declaring campaigns open for the scheduled 2nd October 2021 bye-election, CEC Konneh called on political parties and their supporters not to engage in violence as they intensify their campaign.
He said the Commission had previously observed during the campaign period and polling day, the rising levels of intolerance and violence and that he noted has affected their electoral processes in the past.
During a stakeholder engagement over the weekend in Kabala, Chairman Konneh stressed the need for peaceful coexistence pointing out that the security apparatus has warned all those who are involved in the process to behave accordingly if they want the election to go ahead as planned.
The spate of electoral violence in the past he said was a result of the presence of “authorities” whether they are within governance or political party executives during the election process.
“To a large extent, since last year, we have been trying to minimize that. If you are a minister or political party authority and want to be a party agent, we will give you accreditation, but you must go by the rules if not, the security will be there to take action” he advised.
All four candidates he said have committed themselves to a peaceful process but he further issued a cautionary notice to all stakeholders that the bye-election is a Koinadugu district affair, “let us allow them to determine the fate of this election if you do not have anything to do there please stay away.”
The Commission he said will continue to maintain the standards it has set in the last year during other bye-elections and promised that they will work towards maintaining that in Koinadugu as they have seen that it is a peaceful district.
Director of External Relations, Albert Massaquoi says the Public Elections Act empowers the electoral body to set a Code for election campaign ethics. Section 155 (1) stipulates that “The Electoral Commission shall prepare a code of election campaign ethics which it shall, at least thirty days before the beginning of election campaigning, publish by Government Notice and issue copies to each candidate and political party.”
The Public Elections Act, PART XIV sets out the “ELECTION CAMPAIGN PERIOD”, in section 148(1) which reads… “The Electoral Commission shall, after the close of nominations and after consultation with registered political parties and candidates contesting elections, determine and declare by Government Notice the period when campaigning by candidates and political parties may begin and end.”
Further “(2) The Commission may, in its discretion, declare different periods for election campaigns for different offices.”
Based on the above statutory provisions the Commission according to Massaquoi declared the campaign period from Monday 13th September 2021 to September 30th, 2021, with a timetable for the APC and SLPP candidates after both parties agreed through a ballot.
Asked when the electoral commission will determine that a particular group of people is complicit in carrying out violence against opponents, Director Massaquoi said the electoral body is working with security agencies to prevent any acts of violence.
“It is for that reason that the commission has decided firstly to remind them, to warn them. So, we have made it clear to them that we are watching events unfolding and that the CEC has emphasized the point that the police are constitutionally empowered to enforce the law irrespective of political affiliation” Massaquoi added.
Stakeholders who spoke during the meeting at the Alkalia Community hall advised that no one should go to their community to undermine the peace they are enjoying as whosoever wins is their child.
Party leaders promised to encourage their supporters to avoid engaging in violence in the run-up to the polls.
Representatives from Election Conflict Prevention and Mediation Group, Office of National Security, Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), RSLAF, SL-Police, Civil Society, Media, contesting candidates from APC and SLPP with party executives and Senior Staff of the Electoral Commission (EC-SL) deliberated on the conduct of peaceful and transparent elections.