On Saturday, August 11th, over two million citizens of Sierra Leone waited outside polling stations to vote in the country’s first self-run election since the devastating 10-year civil war which killed at least 50,000.  The previous 2002 election was conducted under the direction of the United Nations and gave the presidency to Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of the Sierra Leone’s People’s Party (SLPP). Therefore, this year’s election is of extreme symbolic importance as the entire elective process has been coordinated by the Sierra Leonean government. Its success would signal to the world that the country is committed to protecting peace and the democratic process.

Sierra Leone has made improvements since the civil war. The military and police have been reformed, infrastructure rebuilt and expanded, some 153 new schools opened, and 76 hospitals and clinics established [1]. The problems that continue to plague the country include high unemployment, lack of clean water and food, and lack of basic health care [2]. The stakes are high as Sierra Leoneans vote to decide which leaders and lawmakers can take the next step on the country’s path to a better and more peaceful future.

The elections will bring a new president to Sierra Leone and 112 legislators to the national parliament [3]. President Kabbah has served two terms, making him ineligible for re-election according to law. During the campaign for the presidency, three candidates were acknowledged as frontrunners. Vice President Solomon Berewa, the chosen nominee of the Sierra Leone’s People’s Party (SLPP), won the endorsement of President Kabbah. Ernest Koroma represented the All People’s Congress (APC), and Charles Margai headed the People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC). As one of the candidates must receive at least 55% of the popular vote to avoid a second round of elections, it seems that a second round will in fact take place in September. Final votes, however, are still being counted.

The hype surrounding the election, which drew an approximate 70% voter turnout of the 2.6 million registered voters, has prompted many organizations to closely observe the action [4].The National Election Watch, the Council of Churches of Sierra Leone, the Economic Community of West African States, and the US-based National Democratic Institute have all sent independent observers to monitor the campaign process, the polling stations, ballot counting, and the transfer of power to a new president. Due to recent violence following election results in Ethiopia, many international leaders are wary of possible repercussions of rigged outcomes.  The European Union dispatched an Election Observation Mission to Sierra Leone (EU EOM) to monitor and report on the validity of the election. The initial report published by the EU EOM concludes that while Election Day was on the whole peaceful, there were notable shortcomings in what has been reported to be a free, fair, and transparent election. Misuse of public resources occurred when state officials allegedly used the resources to promote the ruling party’s position in the campaigning process. EU EOM officials fear that some votes may have been “bought” by political parties. The official report released by the EU states that “the NEC (National Electoral Commission) guidelines for the counting and tallying process have in a few instances deviated from the procedures detailed in the electoral law” [5]. The NEC published its polling procedures in mid-July, effectively prohibiting any revisions in the short time period before the election.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Sierra Leoneans to “preserve an atmosphere of calm and public order, and to resolve any potential disputes through the established legal channels” as vote counting continues and results are pronounced [6]. The Secretary-General’s advice is warranted after small instances of violence occurred before the election [7].

The IIJD fully supports the administration of free, fair, and transparent elections in Sierra Leone. While many encouraging indications of a democratic and peaceful Sierra Leone exist, the IIJD would like to urge the National Electoral Commission and the numerous international monitoring groups to not settle for just mere improvements. To be considered legitimate, free, and fair, elections must meet certain criteria. As outlined in previous publications, the IIJD sets out the following criterion for the classification of elections as legitimate, free and fair:

• The establishment of an Independent Electoral Commission entrusted with voter registration and monitoring the full electoral process;

• Concrete electoral law must be agreed upon by all parties;

• Polling stations should be accessible by a voting population free from intimidation or persuasion;

• Opposition parties must be able to campaign unhampered; and

• Media must be free from governmental interference and accessible by all.   

It is of utmost importance to the citizens of Sierra Leone to hold their government accountable to these high standards in their pursuance of democracy and peace. The IIJD will continue to observe developments in Sierra Leone and will report on the run-off elections next month.