The Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, has said in Freetown that the election reform committee established by the government and the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) is set not to investigate the 2023 presidential, parliamentary and local council elections for a potential re-run.
Clarifying the issue at a news conference held on Tuesday January 30th 2024, Mr. Bah, said the purpose of the Committee is to scrutinize past elections and make recommendations to enhance electoral systems and processes.
Highlighting the Committee’s role, Mr. Bah, stressed that members are committed to bringing forth constructive recommendations that will contribute to the improvement of the electoral landscape in the country.
He underscored that the next scheduled election is set for 2028, emphasizing that the time to challenge the 2023 election, as stipulated by the 1991 Constitution, has elapsed.
Adding that the Committee [does] not have the mandate to recommend for a re-run of elections.
The clarification on the issue, he said, seeks to dispel any confusion regarding the Election Reforms Committee’s objectives and to reassure the public that ERC’s focus is on paving a way for the betterment of future electoral processes, rather than ‘re-visiting’ the 2023 election results.