The leadership of the All Peoples Congress (APC) wishes to draw the attention of all Sierra Leoneans and the international community to some very serious electoral malpractices that could threaten the successful conduct of a free, fair, transparent, peaceful and credible electoral process in Sierra Leone on 24% June 2023.
Even though the APC has repeatedly drawn the attention of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) to repeatedly violating our 1991 Constitution and relevant provisions of the Public Elections Act (PEA) of 2022, the ECSL has proven to be intransigent.
The APC has drawn attention to:
1. The botched Voter Registration Process which disenfranchised a large number of eligible voters that are suspected of not being sympathetic to the ruling
Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP).
2. The poor quality of Voter Identification Cards that were characterized by omissions, mismatches, missing photos and names, poor quality and related inadequacies that render the cards unfit for purpose.
3. The release of an incomplete Final List of Voters (FLV) or Voters Register that is in breach of Section 13 of the Public Elections Act (PEA of 2022 and that does not conform with international best practice. A comparison with the FLV for the 2018 elections confirms same.
4. The failure of the ECSL to complete the Voter Registration and related processes o months before the scheduled elections as provided for in Section 18 of the PEA of 2022. This limits the ability of the APC to effectively use this information for planning and campaigning for the June 249, 2023 elections.
5. The avowed intent of the ECSL to circumvent district level certification of results in the offices of the District Elections Manager (DEM) as provided for in Sections 92(2) of the PEA of 2022. This level of certification is especially necessary since we are applying the District Block System in these elections.
6. The nationwide systematic and cruelly machinated attacks on and brutalization of APC supporters even on scheduled campaign days of the
APC. These actions against our members threaten the peace and security of our members and the entire electoral process.
7. The unwarranted unleashing of the security forces against defenseless civilians in contraventions of relevant provisions of the law.
8. The failure of the judiciary and related state authorities to guarantee justice for our members across the country.
Because of the forgone and other serious concerns, the leadership of the Party has resolved unanimously that our Leader and Presidential Candidate for the 2023 Presidential Elections, Dr. Samura Matthew Wilson Kamara, shall be addressing the nation on Wednesday 14th June 2023 to present to the nation and the international community the Party’s position on the above and related issues and the way forward for the planned 24 June 2023 multi tier Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Council Elections.
In the interim, we are calling on all members and supporters of the APC to remain law abiding and respect the rule of law.
Long live the APC.
Long live Sierra Leone.
Lansana Dumbuya
NATIONAL SECRETARY GENERAL, APC
