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The Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone yesterday officially launched the voter registration exercise expected to commence on 3rd September 2022 and ends on 3rd October 2022.
In his keynote address at the grand launching ceremony held at the New Brookfields Hotel on Jomo Kenyatta Road in Freetown, the Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mohamed Kenewui Konneh said as a commission they believe in partnership and collaboration with national stakeholders and international partners.
Yesterday’s event, he said, marks a significant day in our electoral cycle of 2022 and 2024. Since the proclamation of the election date by the President Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio, the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) has made several statements on the forthcoming elections.
Commissioner Mohamed Konneh said they have the mandate to register all eligible Sierra Leoneans including those that will be 18 years old on polling day of 24th June 2023 into the credible and permanent voter register.
“We started preparation of voter registration with GIS mapping of Three thousand six hundred and thirty centres across the country where all eligible citizens will present themselves to get their detail captured by the registration staffs, as the Commission has recruited ward coordinators, voter registration staffs”, Chief Electoral Commissioner Mohamed Konneh stated.
Mr. Mohamed Konneh furthered that the Commission had procured two thousand laptop computers for the extraction of citizensโ data from the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA).
In accordance with Section 23 and 24 of the Public Elections Act of 2012, Commissioner Mohamed Konneh said each registration centre will be opened for 15 days, the process will be done in two phases of the 15 days period each, between 3rd September 2022 to 4th October 2022.
The first phase Mr. Konneh said will run from 3rd September to 17th September 2022, and the second phase will run from 20th September to 4th October 2022 and with one thousand eight hundred and fifteen centres in each phase across the country; and with four officials at each centre to serve the public.
Voting, according to the Chief Electoral Commissioner Mohamed Konneh is most important among civic responsibilities. He urged all citizens of voting age including young people, women to use their power to register, mobilise new voters and get involved in this first step in the 2023 electoral process.
Mr. Konneh assured of security presence in all centers to ensure the registration centers are peaceful and orderly, and also remind political parties and supporters that to ensure a peaceful environment. “We are equally concerned about heighten environment of fear and regional identity suspicion which is not conducive for a free and peaceful elections”, Commissioner Mohamed Konneh stressed.
In his opening remarks as chairman of the ceremony, Dr. Julius Spencer declared the event as very important in the electioneering process.
