Abuja – The ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) governing board has appealed to Sierra Leone’s political stakeholders to see elections as a sovereign responsibility.
The President of the Network and Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the appeal in Freetown when a delegation of ECONEC governing board visited Sierra Leone.
A statement by Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, his Chief Press Secretary, in Abuja, on Tuesday, said Yakubu spoke in separate meetings with Sierra Leone’s National Electoral Commission (NEC), Political Party Registration Commission (PPRC) and political parties.
The statement said that the delegation was on a “Need Assessment and Solidarity Missions” to Sierra Leone and Liberia, where crucial elections would hold in March, 2018 and October, 2017, respectively
Yakubu urged Sierra Leone citizens to see democracy as a collective sacrifice for the wellbeing of the people and national development.
He said that the ECONEC delegation was in the country not to teach or dictate to the electoral body but “to listen to you and also learn from you.”
“For the first time, all 15 member-states of ECOWAS are democracies and ECONEC as a collective of election management bodies is determined to consolidate credible elections in our region.
“We are determined to achieve this through experience-sharing on best practices, working together, helping each other and also working with partners,” he said.
He promised that ECONEC would assist with advocacy to various stakeholders in support of the commission.
Yakubu stressed that the credibility of any election depended on the credibility of the election administrators and the integrity of the process, including the voter registration.
He said that all eyes were on Sierra Leone, adding that “the failure of Sierra Leone will be the failure of not just West Africa, but the whole of Africa.”
On his part, Mr Mohamed N’fah-Alie Conteh, Chairman of the five-member Sierra Leone NEC briefed the ECONEC team on preparation by the commission for the March, 2018 elections.
Conteh appreciated the delegation for the visit and ECOWAS member-states, especially Nigeria for their assistance in the restoration of peace and deepening of democracy in Sierra Leone.
He said that the visit and assistance were appreciated by the country which went through a decade of civil war and the Ebola virus devastation of 2014.
The NEC chairman mentioned the assistance and technical support from development partners, particularly the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
Conteh, however, added that there was still a shortfall to be addressed for a successful electoral process in the country.
The delegation is expected to meet other Sierra Leone stakeholders, including the security, judiciary, civil society, media and development partners before proceeding to Liberia. (NAN)