June 24th elections: <strong>CoPPP issues position statement</strong>

By Mustapha Dumbuya

The Consortium of Progressive Political Parties (CoPPP) has issued a strong position statement on the just concluded Sierra Leone’s national election that was held on the 24 June, 2023. CoPPP on their press release dated on the 23 July, 2023 started by thanking Sierra Leoneans for their massive turnout at the June 24th 2023, multi-tier elections. The release stated: “The Consortium of Progressive Political Parties (CoPPP) would like to thank and congratulate all Sierra Leoneans for their massive turnout….and CoPPP is proud of its participation in the sensitization, political education, and mobilization of communities in preparation for the elections.

Moreover, according to the press release, CoPPP stated the following concerns:

 COPPP was aware of the very high expectations of the citizens of Sierra Leone that these elections would offer them the opportunity, after five years of patient anticipation, to genuinely express their choices of political leaders at the various levels of governance in a free, fair, and civilized atmosphere;

 In light of a dramatic State capture over the past five years, CoPPP notes with dismay how the democratic space has been shut down in Sierra Leone and key institutions such as the ECSL, the PPRC, and other Elections Management Bodies, the entire Security system, the Judiciary, the Legislature, the Anti-Corruption agencies, the Civil Service, huge sections of the Press and Civil Society Organizations, Religious Leaders, Traditional chieftaincy institutions, the Entertainment Industry and Academic;

The abysmal failure of the ECSL to deliver free, fair, and credible elections can therefore be described as a historic betrayal of the trust of the citizens insofar as the results they officially declared for Local, Parliamentary, and Presidential elections been unanimously condemned by both national and international observers as lacking in transparency and integrity;

International observers were alienated by the ECSL from the rather secretive tallying and tabulation of results broke all its own rules and made a total mockery of the resilience of voters, the vigilance of observers, the deployment of material, financial and human resources and the counting of votes that preceded the collation of results;

CoPPP also notes with revulsion the heavy-handedness of the security forces and their callousness towards defenseless citizens by their indiscriminate use of tear gas and live bullets before, during, and after polling day involving the loss of innocent lives;

We strongly condemn the violence and terror, arson, and looting of properties perpetrated by pro-SLPP vigilantes against opposition supporters particularly in the Southern and Eastern regions of the country that has led to people fleeing into the bush in episodes reminiscent of the brutal civil war” the press statement stated.

CoPPP went further to state that in order to restore the legitimacy of the local Councils, the Sierra Leone Parliament, and the Presidency, ECSL should release the polling station data used in the tabulation of the results they published. In addition, an independent audit of the ECSL should be instituted to determine the flaws in their conduct of the 2023 elections. The release also urged the Government of President Bio to proudly be at the forefront in demanding the publication of these results as a way of confirming their pride and confidence in their own legitimacy and saving the country they govern from continued international shame.