Sewa News Stream

  On Twitter, Samura Kamara, the presidential nominee for the All People's Congress political party in Sierra Leone, shared a letter expressing concern about recent events in the country. Kamara stated that Sierra Leone had experienced a "sad day" when the Chief Electoral Commissioner Mohamed Konneh presented a Certificate of Return at State House, following what Kamara called an "electoral coup and unprecedented election fraud." He went on to explain that Sierra Leone had not been the same since the "paopas" came to power, a local term meaning "whether you like it or not." Kamara recounted how, in June 2023, Sierra Leoneans had come out in large numbers to vote against an "autocratic and ethnocentric regime."However, the decline in democracy culminated in the most blatant electoral fraud ever. Kamara warned that if this situation continues, it could lead to the death of democracy in Sierra Leone and threaten its consolidation, give

European Union Election Observation Mission Sierra Leone issues a preliminary statement on the General elections held on 24 June 2023 PRELIMINARY STATEMENT Voters’ commitment to a democratic process challenged by violence and lack of transparency at critical stages of elections Freetown, 26 June 2023 This preliminary statement of the EU election observation mission (EU EOM) is delivered before the completion of the entire electoral process. Critical stages remain, including tabulation of results and adjudication of petitions. The EU EOM is now only in a position to comment on observations undertaken to date, and will later publish a final report, including a full analysis and recommendations for electoral reform. The EU EOM may also make additional statements on election-related matters as and when it considers it appropriate. Summary The 2023 general elections unfolded in a highly polarised and volatile socio-political environment. In  a positive development, these elections were prec