By- Aruna Rashed Toma Bangura

The Director of External Relations for the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone, Albert Massaquoi has intimated that the Commission will accredit 180,000 observers of the different political parties, 20,000 to national observers, 1,000 to international observers and 2,000 accreditations to media observers, adding that the commission will prepare a register for all accredited observers.

Addressing political party’s members, civil society organizations and the media at a recently held meeting at the Electoral Commission conference room, Albert Massaquoi made it very clear that the Commission is not accrediting individuals but institutions ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

He furthered that institutions are to submit a list of observers and accredited individuals are required to read and understand the general guidelines and code of conduct for observers. He added that accredited institutions must ensure that all their observers are of sane and sound minds and have agreed to comply with the rules and regulations governing the electoral process.

Albert Massaquoi stated that accredit observers of the various institutions must be entitled to observe allaspects of the electoral process including registration, voting, counting of votes and the determination and declaration of results and have the freedom to move within and from the area(s) specified in the certificate of accreditation, adding that accredited observers must have the right to communicate freely  with registered political parties and individual candidates and observers must wear and visibly and conspicuously display their identification cards at all times.

He stated that the objective of the electoral observation is to ensure that political parties, observers both national and international  and the media both national and international to witness the conduct of all or any aspect of the electoral process are given the opportunity.

He said that through the accreditation process, political parties, candidates and their agents, observers and media institutions are authorize to observe the electoral processes, take notes of happenings during the process and report to their respective institutions. He added that electoral observation has become an integral part of the democratic and electoral processes to enhance all electoral activities to be transparent, credible and accountable.