By Mustapha Dumbuya
His Excellency the President, Rtd. Brig. Dr. Julius Maada Bio addressed to the sixth parliament today Thursday 3rd, August, 2023 has announced the establishment of a National Elections Review Committee to review and make recommendations to improve electioneering process in Sierra Leone.
The President gave the responsibility to the Hon. Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh to lead the committee which will be comprised of development partners and civil society. It must be recalled that VP Jàlloh has over ten years of experience working in the United Nations as an elections expert. His technical expertise and people management skills are vital to deliver on President Bio’s vision to improve the work of elections management bodies including the ECSL.
“The National Electoral Systems Review Committee, with a broad membership of the Government, Development Partners, Civil Society and Professional Organizations, will be led by the Honorable Vice President and supported by an ad-hoc Technical Secretariat. The key deliverable of the Review Committee will be an Electoral Systems Review Report that will lay the foundation for critical reforms in the electioneering process with reference to the ECSL and all other EMBs in Sierra Leone,” President Bio said.
Vice President, Juldeh Jalloh has expressed total commitment and confidence in working with members of the committee and ensure it goal is been achieved to push and effect national cohesion. He expressed honor and privilege of joining President Bio during his Address to the Parliament of Sierra Leone as the president presented his BIG FIVE priorities for the country’s transformation over the next five years, and it was very well received.
The key deliverable of the Review Committee will be an Electoral Systems Review Report that will lay the foundation for critical reforms in the electioneering process with reference to the EC-SL and all other EMBs in Sierra Leone.
“My last administration fully supported the EC-SL and other related Election Management Bodies (EMBs). The EC-SL has a Constitutional mandate supplemented by the Public Elections Act 2022 for planning and conducting public elections in Sierra Leone. My Government remains committed to ensuring that State institutions undertake their mandates efficiently. President Bio assured. The National Electoral Systems Review Committee’s objective will be two-fold: i. to review the prevailing legal framework, related institutional and operational arrangements, and local and international observer missions’ reports. ii. to propose key reforms for institutionalizing the recommendations to enhance the operations of the entire electoral architecture in Sierra Leone.”
