By- Aruna Rashed Toma Bangura

The Director of Media and Communication for the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone, Mr. Raymond A.N George during the weekly press briefing on Thursday 2nd February, 2023 has disclosed to newsmen that 3,374,254 (Three million, Three hundred and Seventy four thousand, Two hundred and Fifty-four) eligible voters are captured in the final voter registration exercise.

He said ECSL is going to print out 3.3 million voters’ identity card as the procurement process is ongoing and will be completed. And he said that the voters IDs will be distributed nationwide from the 17th March to 26th March in 3,630 centres which will be opened nationwide from 7am to 5pm every day. And this round it will not be in phases as all 3,630 centres will be opened at the same time.

Mr. George stated that 1,614,123 are male registrants, 1,759,529 are female registrants, and 22,384 are people with disabilities and 607 underage registrants. He noted that the registrants try to manipulate the registration system by producing false information to the commission as the evidences are with the ECSL and will forward the matter to the SLP for further action.

According to the Director of Media and Communication, ECSL has not post-poned the forthcoming elections, but the village head elections have been shelved for 21st October, 2023.

The Director of Media and Communication said ECSL is doing online verification system by simply sending SMS to *838# on any Africell number as all personal details of the registrants will appear unless his or her photo that will not appear, adding that the commission also developed two other Android applications to smoothen the verification exercise. And first time voters should enter the 18 digits code on their registration forms while continuing voters should enter the 12 digits code on their forms. He said photoless IDs will be updated using a mobile app that is developed by the ICT and Data department of the ECSL to capture photos.

He continued that ECSL has decided on the policy for the allocation of voters per polling station with 300 standard and not more than 400 maximum.

Mr.George assured and confirmed that ECSL will be using the PR system to conduct the Parliamentary and Local Council elections and will use the first pass the post system of voting for both Districts Chairman and Mayoral elections ahead of the June 24th polling day. He said 55% is the threshold mark for Presidential election and that ECSL will use the two rounds system and will use the first pass the post system for run-off between the 1st and 2nd presidential candidates.

He informed further that campaign kicks off on 23rd May and ends on 22nd June 2023 for all registered political parties, adding that ECSL will conduct stakeholders’ engagement in all 16 districts starting the second week of February.

He said they will have 135 parliamentary seats with 493 council seats and every registered political party must have one female for every three candidates submitted to the ECSL. He made it known that independent candidates are not allow to form a coalition and that Foreign and international observers will work within the code of conduct.

He concluded that the PR system of voting is not new as it was applied in the 1996 and 2002 respectively, adding that people should stop criticizing the PR that have been approved by the Supreme court and proclaimed by President Bio.