It is unbelievable that the June 24, 2023 general elections were nuptial with doubt couple with serious issues. On Tuesday 25th July, 2023, Council of Churches in Sierra Leone (CCSL) made a press statement that the country is at present in unhealthy state of stalemate.

The council called for truth and justice not merely peace for complacency. CCSL urges elections management bodies (EMB) and elections observers to resolve all outstanding problems of the elections. Unfortunately, that relative peace and calm has been extremely negated by post polling activities resulting in the challenges to result as pronounced by the Chief Electoral Commissioner for Sierra Leone, adding that, the number of invalid vote (about 4.7%) was high and does not meet with international standard.

More needs to be done in terms of voter electoral elections and sensitizations, though the voter turn-out of average was 87% impressive. However, CCSL still holds firmly that if the overall results of the multitier elections of 2023 would have met international standard of free, fair, transparent, credible and peaceful elections issues of uncertainty would been a thing of the past.

Accordingly, the council of churches in Sierra Leone (CCSL) takes this opportunity to congratulate the people of Sierra Leone for voting in a relatively peaceful environment. According to CCSL, Rve. Henry A. Samuels their report is based on the analysis of 484 (four hundred and eighth-four) reports check lists of all the results of June 24 elections was released by polling centers.

In another development, the National Election Watch (NEW), Cater Center, European Union and other international observers similarly shared the same views and opinion that the June 24 elections lacks transparency and accountability.

In an interview with the National Coordinator of NEW, Rev. James Lahai at radio democracy, good morning program, he informed press men and the general public that, amongst the 13 candidates, none was able to meet the threshold of 55% as stipulated in the 1991 constitution of Sierra Leone.

However, the Director of Operations of ECSL, Mohamed Turay confirmed to radio democracy 98.1 FM that the June 24 polls were transparent and credible though some local and international observers discredited their good work as planned.

But Sierra Leoneans at home aboard are dismay with the outcome of the results because countless of electorates were expecting change of authority this time around due to economic crisis, cost of living, hardship, human rights abuses and bad governance over the years.