On Saturday morning, in the Kambia District of Sierra Leone’s North West Province, the police arrested two people on suspicion of trying to stuff several ballots into the voting box.
They were allegedly caught carrying ballot papers and the identification card of their alleged employer, Samura Claude, a district election manager in Sierra Leone. Reports indicate that they are part of a group that supports one of the major political parties.
According to suspect Ahsan Kareem, the items discovered on him and his accomplice were from their boss, Samura Claude.
In this general election, the 59-year-old retired military officer Julius Maada Bio faces off with 72-year-old technocrat opponent, Samura Kamara, leader of the All People’s Congress. In the previous election in 2018, Mr. Bio prevailed in a second-round run-off.
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Although the campaign in Freetown has been less violent than in the past, the potential for bloodshed remains high. Regardless of the outcome, local officials and celebrities have urged peaceful elections including actor Idris Elba.
The British actor and producer urged Sierra Leoneans to hold a peaceful election on June 19, 2023, in a video via Twitter.
“CALLING ALL SIERRA LEONEANS. FORGIVE MY KRIO. BUT SHARE MY MESSAGE. LET US HAVE A PEACEFUL ELECTION. WE CAN, THERFORE WE SHALL,” Idris Elba, who is of from Sierra Leonean descent, tweeted.
Prior to Sierra Leone’s national elections, the Carter Centre has dispatched an international election observation mission to the country.
About Sierra Leone Elections
In Sierra Leone, the president and the unicameral Parliament are both elected on a national basis. Two or three major parties compete for power in Sierra Leone’s multi-party system.
Members of Parliament and the President are each elected to serve a five-year term. In total, there are 124 legislators in the Parliament, with 112 being directly elected by the people and 12 being chosen through indirect voting.
The President appoints, with Parliament’s approval, a five-member Electoral Commission (chairman plus four commissioners). In addition to overseeing elections, referendums, and the registration of voters and political parties, the commission is also in charge of voter registration. The President shall appoint four individuals to serve on the Political Parties Registration Commission, which shall be an independent body. Voters must be at least 18 years old and of sound mind. Every vote will remain private.
