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AFRICAN UNION

AFRICAN UNION ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION TO THE 2018 GENERAL ELECTIONS AND PRESIDENTIAL RUN-OFF IN THE REPUBLIC OF

SIERRA LEONE

FINAL REPORT

African Union Election Observation Mission Report: Sierra Leone 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTSABBREVIATION/ACRONYMS....................................................................................................3EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................4I. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................9II. OBJECTIVE AND METHODOLOGY................................................................................10

(a) Objective........................................................................................................................10

III. BACKGROUND TO THE 2018 ELECTIONS..............................................................12IV. PRE-ELECTION OBSERVATIONS..............................................................................13

(a) Legal Framework.................................................................................................................13

(m) Election Security...............................................................................................................24

V. ELECTION DAY OBSERVATION.................................................................................27(a) Opening of the Polls.....................................................................................................28

(c) Voting Process...................................................................................................................29

(d) Polling Personnel..............................................................................................................30

(e) Party Agents and Independent Observers...................................................................30

(f) Security Personnel.............................................................................................................30

(e)Closing and Counting Processes.....................................................................................30

V. POST ELECTION OBSERVATION..............................................................................32(a) Results Tabulation........................................................................................................32

(b) Announcement of Results...........................................................................................34

VII. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................38(a) Conclusion.....................................................................................................................38

Annex 2: Deployment Plan 7 March 2018 General Elections..............................................42Annex 3: Deployment Plan for Run-Off Presidential Election..............................................43

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to the Republic of Sierra Leone expresses its appreciation to the various stakeholders and institutions whose support and cooperation contributed to the success of the Mission.

The AUEOM is particularly grateful to the Government of Sierra Leone and the National Elections Commission (NEC) for their assistance throughout the duration of the Mission.

The AUEOM appreciates the valuable leadership provided by His Excellency, Kgalema Motlante, former President of the Republic of South Africa for his leadership of the Mission and contribution to democratic consolidation in Sierra Leone.

Finally, the Mission appreciates the dedication of its technical team from the African Union Commission and the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), as well as the commitment of its observers, whose diligent reporting on the electoral process was crucial to the success of the AUEOM.

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ABBREVIATION/ACRONYMS

ACDEG African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and GovernanceADEO Assistant District Elections Officer AfCHPR African Court on Human and Peoples’ RightsAPC All People’s CongressAU African UnionAUC African Union CommissionAUEOM African Union Elections Observation Mission CGG Campaign for Good Governance CSOs Civil Society OrganizationsDEO District Elections Officer EISA Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in AfricaEMBs Election Management BodiesFPTP First-Past-The-PostGESF Gender and Elections Strategic Framework ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political RightsIEC Information Education and Communication LTOs Long Term ObserversMACP Military Aid to Civilian Power NEC National Electoral CommissionNEW National Election WatchNGC National Grand Coalition ONS Office of National SecurityPAP Pan-African ParliamentPCMP Paramount Chief Member of ParliamentPEA Public Elections Act PPRC Political Parties Registration Commission PRC Permanent Representatives’ Committee RRFs Reconciliation and Results Forms SEND Social Enterprise DevelopmentSLP Sierra Leone Police SLPP Sierra Leone People’s PartySTOs Short Term ObserversUPND United Party for National DevelopmentVEO Voter Education OfficerWANEP West Africa Network for Peace-building

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to the Republic of Sierra Leone’s General Elections (presidential, parliamentary and local council) on 7 March 2018 and the presidential election run-off held on 31 March was deployed from 10 February to 7 April 2018. The objectives of the AUEOM were to: (i) provide an independent, objective and impartial assessment of the preparations and conduct of the 2018 Elections; (ii) assess the extent to which the elections complied with the legal framework of Sierra Leone as well as regional, continental and international principles for democratic elections which the country is signatory; (iii) offer recommendations for improvement of future electoral processes and contribute to the consolidation of peace and stability in the country; (iv) demonstrate the African Union’s solidarity and support for Sierra Leone’s democratic and electoral processes.

Observation and Findings

The 2018 Elections were the fourth democratic elections after the civil war and the second to be managed by the NEC and national institutions and was a significant step towards further consolidation of democracy. Similarly to the 2007 Presidential Elections, the incumbent president, Ernest Koroma, was not illegible for re-election after his two-term mandate under the Constitution of Sierra Leone. This provided the opportunity for a levelling playing field and opportunity for alternation of power between the two leading parties, the All Peoples’ Congress (APC) and the Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party (SLPP).

Efforts by national stakeholders (Political Parties Registration Commission, Sierra Leone Police, Office of National Security, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the international community to promote peaceful elections paid off and contributed to the reduction in the level of political violence before, during and after the elections. For instance, the signing of the ‘Freetown Declaration,’ ahead of the Elections by 15 of the 16 candidates contesting the presidential election was a significant step towards peaceful elections.

The legal framework under which the election was conducted such as the 1991 Constitution, the Public Elections Act of 2012, and the Political Parties Registration Act of 2002 offered equal opportunity for freedom of association, equal political parties and freedom of expression under which many Sierra Leoneans participated in the elections as presidential, parliamentary and local council candidates. The Constitution of Sierra Leone however bars individuals from standing as independent candidates for presidential elections.

During the Elections, the National Electoral Commission (NEC), which is constitutionally mandated to manage elections in Sierra Leone, enjoyed high approval rate among political stakeholders including political parties. Before, during and after the polls the

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NEC made efforts to engage political parties and other electoral stakeholders through regular meetings and public updates through the release of public notices, statements and press releases. Overall, the NEC was seen as independent and neutral arbiter throughout and managed to resolve challenges relating to the electoral process through interparty dialogue and in some cases, with the involvement of the international community.

The creation of two new districts in the Northern part of the country ahead of the election was seen by some political parties as giving unfair advantage to the ruling party, the APC, which considered the North as its stronghold. Following the creation of the new regions, 20 new constituencies were also created, 15 in the Northern region and 5 in the Western region and thus raised the number of constituencies (directly elected parliamentary seats) from 112 to 132, and the number of Paramount Member of Parliament (PCMP) from 12 to 14 in 2018.

The role of the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) was important in enforcing the compliance of political parties with the code of conduct they had signed to promote peace, tolerance and non-violent elections. Despite efforts to promote peaceful campaigns, there were a number of campaign incidents relating mainly to non-compliance with the campaign calendar published by the NEC, defacing of posters and other campaign materials, intimidation of female candidates, use of tribal or ethnic campaign arguments, and isolated cases of hate speeches in a limited number of local radios. Violent clashes were also reported, including instances of inter and intra-party violence, destruction of goods and property, and personal injuries. Notable incidents of political intolerance were recorded in Bumbuna and Kamalo in Tonkolili and Karene, as well as in Bo and Kenema districts.

The interim injunction1 issued by the High Court on 24 March suspending preparations by the NEC to conduct the presidential election run-off on 27 March2 impacted on the timelines and caused delays until 31 March. This was made possible as a result of the decision by the Supreme Court to extend the 14-day constitutional deadline after announcement of the first round presidential election results. The decision of the High Court created an atmosphere of uncertainty and heightened political tension in the lead up to the run-off presidential election

The Election Day operations were well managed by the NEC and afforded Sierra Leoneans the opportunity to freely express themselves through the ballot. The high voter turnout of over 80% during the 7 March General Elections and 31 March presidential run-off was a clear indication of the enthusiasm of Sierra Leonean voters to exercise their right to choose their leaders.

1Based on application made by a former APC aspirant and Lawyer, Sorie Koroma on 20 March2EP318 2018K1 Ibrahim Sorie Koroma V. Chief Electoral Commissioner, NEC and AG, 20 March

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CSOs in Sierra Leone CSOs played commendable roles in the electoral process before, during and after the elections. For instance, a coalition of CSOs, the National Elections Watch (NEW) deployed observers in all polling stations and thus contributed to enhancing the transparency of the voting and counting processes

The 7 March 2018 presidential election was inconclusive: none of the candidates obtained the required 55% threshold of valid votes cast as prescribed by the Constitution3. Consequently, a run-off was held on 31 March between the two leading candidates, Julius Maada Bio (who got 43%) and Dr. Samura Kamara (who got 42%) during the first round.

The run-off presidential election scheduled for 27 March 2018 had to be rescheduled to 31 March as a result of a High Court injunction that temporary halted preparations for the election and increased political tension. Maada Bio of the opposition SLPP won the presidential run-off and was subsequently sworn in as the new president of Sierra Leone.

Conclusion

Based on its observations and findings, the AUEOM considered that, despite isolated incidences of violence and legal wrangling before, during and after the elections, the 7 March General Elections and the 31 March Presidential Run-off were conducted in accordance with the laws of Sierra Leone in a peaceful, transparent and orderly manner. It is the AUEOM’s assessment that the elections met most of the key benchmarks of national, regional, continental and international standards for democratic elections.

Recommendations

Based on observations and findings, the Mission makes the following recommendations in order to improve future electoral processes in Sierra Leone:

To the Government: Review and legislate on the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) Report

published on 24 January 2017 and the Government White Paper published on 10 November 2017 and embark on electoral and legal reforms aimed at filling the gaps that exist in the 1991 Constitution and the Public Elections Act (PEA) of 2012. The review should take into account issues relating to independent presidential candidates, the 55% threshold to win presidential election, elaborate and clear regulations on campaign finance; and establish a transitional arrangement that allows for effective handover of power from one regime to another before the swearing in of the elected President;

3 Section 42(2)(e) of 1991 Constitution.

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Disburse funds for the electoral process on time to the NEC to enable timely and efficient preparation of the process; and

Enhance women’s participation in the elective positions by aligning national legal framework with regional and international standards towards appropriate affirmative action measures, including quotas and reduced nomination fees ahead of future elections.

The National Electoral Commission:

Reinforce the training of polling personnel on results management, especially on the filling of Results Reconciliation Forms and the issue of over-voting, in order to enhance and accelerate the results process at polling stations;

Adhere to and implement the legal requirements, such as establishing tally centres in all the 16 districts in line with Section 94 of the PEA, 2012;

De-congest over-crowded polling centres by limiting the number of polling stations in such polling centres with the view of maintaining orderliness at polling centres/stations;

Put in place measures such as providing lightening system like torch lamps in remote areas to avoid counting of results in darkness; and

Maintain a cordial working relationship with the Police throughout the entire electoral process in order to effectively secure the process.

Security Agencies: Work in collaboration with the NEC on issues relating to election security to avoid

perception of intimidation of the NEC officials; Measures to ensure security on Election day such as restriction of vehicular

movement should be negotiated with other electoral stakeholders and implemented in a manner that does not affect the participation of voters in the electoral process; and

The presence of security officers at polling stations should be visible throughout the entire process.

Political Parties and candidates:

Commit to parties’ transparent governance in order to foster and maintain the trust of their members, and uphold the credibility of parties and the electoral process during candidates’ nomination process;

Avoid ethnic-based campaign messaging, and promote peace and harmony between Sierra Leoneans, political parties and ethnic groups before, during and after the elections; and

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Advocate for the creation of favourable conditions such as women quota to foster women’s access to leadership positions within political parties.

The Media: Strive for equitable, investigative, responsible and ethical reporting of the

electoral processes to contribute to a peaceful atmosphere before, during and after the elections; and

Refrain from encouraging and broadcasting/publishing hate speeches and tribal politics.

The Judiciary:

Adjudicate on election petitions within the timeframe as prescribed by the 1991 Constitution and the Public Electoral Act, 2012.

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I. INTRODUCTION

At the invitation of the Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone and the NEC, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, deployed the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to Sierra Leone to observe the general elections held on 7 March and the subsequent presidential election run-off held on 31 March 2018.

The AUEOM was led by H.E. Kgalema Motlanthe, former President of the Republic of South Africa and comprised 40 observers for the 7 March general elections and 30 observers for the 31 March presidential election run-off, including 8 Long Term Observers (LTOs) for the former and 7 LTOs for the latter. The observers were drawn from 25 countries4 representing the Permanent Representatives’ Committee (PRC), the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), Election Management Bodies (EMBs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Think Tanks and the academia. Technical staff from the African Union Commission, the PAP and (Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa) EISA supported the Mission.

The AUEOM’s mandate was derived from the (a) African Union Guidelines for Electoral Observation and Monitoring Missions (2002); (b) OAU/AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa (2002); African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (1981); and (c) African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (2007), among others. The Mission’s assessment and observations were informed by the principles and guidelines enshrined in these instruments, as well as other relevant international and regional instruments guiding international election observation and the legal framework for the conduct of elections in Sierra Leone.

The main objectives of the Mission were to: (i) provide an independent, objective and impartial assessment of the preparations and conduct of the 2018 Elections in Sierra Leone; (ii) assess the extent to which the elections complied with the legal framework of Sierra Leone as well as regional, continental and international principles for democratic elections which Sierra Leone is signatory; (iii) offer recommendations for improvement of future electoral processes and contribute to the consolidation of peace and stability in the country; (iv) demonstrate the African Union’s solidarity and support for Sierra Leone’s democratic and electoral processes.

4 Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saharawi Republic, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zimbabwe.

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To achieve its objectives, the AUEOM undertook the following activities:

Deployment of 8 LTOs from 11 February – 7 April 2018 to observe pre-election, and post elections activities in all the 5 regions and to consult with stakeholders at the national and regional levels. The LTOs observed the election of Paramount Chief Members of Parliament (PCMP) in fourteen (14) districts on Tuesday 27 February 2018. In addition to the LTOs, 40 STOs were deployed from 28 February to 9 March for the General Elections and from 24 March to 4 April 2018 for the presidential run-off.

AU Observers held meetings with representatives of political parties, the NEC, security agencies, civil society organisations and other relevant electoral stakeholders at national, provincial and district levels.

The Head of Mission held high level consultations with national stakeholders including the presidency, the NEC, security agencies, the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), candidates, CSOs and heads of other observer missions to exchange information and discuss issues related to promoting credible and transparent elections.

The AUEOM released two statements of its preliminary observation after the 7 March General Elections on 9 March and after the 31 March Presidential Run-Off on 2 March 2018.

Overall, the AUEOM observed the key activities during the electoral processes including campaigns by political parties and candidates; media coverage of the process; civic and voter education; training of electoral and security personnel; CSOs’ election related activities; preparations and deployment of electoral logistics and distribution of materials by electoral authorities, opening and voting procedures; closing and counting procedures; tabulation and announcement of results, visits to regional tallying centres and post-election developments.

This final report presents the findings and assessment of the two (2) rounds of voting of the 2018 electoral process in the Republic of Sierra Leone as well as recommendations for betterment of future electoral processes.

II. BACKGROUND TO THE 2018 ELECTIONS

The 2018 Sierra Leone Elections took place against the backdrop of two major disasters that had a heavy toll on state structures, budget and national morale. The first was the Ebola crisis of 2014-2015 that sapped the economy and weakened national institutions. The second was the August 2017 mudslide in the capital, Freetown that reportedly

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claimed over 500 lives. The disaster had initially fuelled speculation over its possible impact on the electoral timetable.

The 2018 elections were the fourth competitive post-war elections and the second to be managed by the NEC and national institutions and was a significant step towards further consolidation of democracy in Sierra Leone. Similarly to the 2007 presidential elections, incumbent president Ernest Koroma was not illegible to contest after his two-term mandate under the Constitution of Sierra Leone and thus provided opportunity for an enhanced levelling playing field for alternation of power between the two leading parties, the All Peoples’ Congress and the Sierra Leone Peoples Party.

Despite efforts to promote peaceful campaigns, the lead up to the elections witnessed high political tensions and some incidents of violence during the campaigns mainly relating to non-compliance with the campaign calendar published by the NEC, defacing of posters and other campaign materials, intimidation of female candidates, the use of tribal or ethnic campaign arguments, and isolated cases of hate speeches in a limited number of local radios. Violent clashes were also reported, including instances of inter and intra-party violence, destruction of goods and property, and violation of the physical integrity of individuals during clashes.

Concerns about electoral violence led to efforts made by national stakeholders (the Political Parties Registration Commission, Sierra Leone Police, Office of National Security, the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the international community to promote peaceful elections, which paid off and contributed to the reduction in the level of political tension and violence before, during and after the elections. For instance, the signing of the ‘Freetown Declaration’ ahead of the elections by 15 of the 16 candidates contesting the presidential election was a significant step towards peaceful elections.

III. PRE-ELECTION OBSERVATIONS

(a) Legal Framework

Genuine democratic elections should be guided by an exhaustive and democratically oriented legal framework. Such a legal framework should comprise of domestic,

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regional and international legal instruments. The 2018 General Elections and the Presidential Run-off in Sierra Leone were guided by the Constitution of Sierra Leone 1991, the Public Elections Act (2012), the Political Parties Registration Act (2002), the Local Government Act 2004, the National Civil Registration Act of 2016 and the Chieftaincy Act 2009. In addition to these national legal instruments, Sierra Leone is also a signatory to a number of regional and international treaties/conventions/declarations5 aimed at protecting human rights and promoting democratic electoral processes, and is therefore bound by their standards and obligations to conduct elections that reflect the free will of the people.

The Constitution of Sierra Leone 1991

The 1991 Constitution provides for the holding of periodic elections6 and conforms to international instruments such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights7 and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance8 which promotes universal adult suffrage, voting by secret9, the formation of political parties, 18 years as voting age10, freedom of expression and the press11, registration of voters12, the establishment of an electoral commission,13 among others. Broadly, the Constitution is based on the “principles of Freedom, Democracy and Justice” and thus offers all Sierra Leoneans the fundamental freedoms and rights to participate in the politics and the electoral processes of their country. However, the Constitution places limitation on individuals’ participation in the elections in two ways. First, it bars independent candidates from contesting presidential elections14. By allowing only political parties to field presidential candidates, individuals’ rights and freedoms to participate in elections, be elected and participate in public affairs of their country as enshrined in regional and international treaties15 are diminished. Second, the Constitution also bars citizens with dual citizenship16 from contesting the presidential election by stating in its section 41 that one of the qualifications to contest for the office of the president is to qualify to be

5African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance; International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; Convention on the Political Rights of Women; Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa; United Nations Convention against Corruption; Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Economic Community of West African States Protocol on the Fight against Corruption.6Section 48 of 1991 Constitution. 7Article 25(b).8Article 4(2).9Section 36 of 1991 Constitution.10Section 15(1)(a) of Public Elections Act.11Section 25 of 1991 Constitution.12Section 31 of 1991 Constitution.13Section 32 of 1991 Constitution.14Section 42 (1) of 1991 Constitution.15 Article 13 (1) of AfCHPR and Article 25(a) of ICCPR.16Section 76(1)(a): No person shall be qualified for election a Member of Parliament –if he is a naturalized citizen of Sierra Leone or is a citizen of a county other than Sierra Leone having become such a citizen voluntarily or is under a declaration of allegiance to such a country.

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elected as a Member of Parliament, and that to be qualified to be a candidate for Member of Parliament an aspirant should not be in possession of dual citizenship. This exclusion has the tendency to limit the right and opportunity of some Sierra Leoneans to be elected, contrary to international standards.17 It should be noted that the issue of dual citizens participation in the elections generated controversy among which the court petitions that challenged eligibility of the Dr. Yumeklla, the presidential candidate of the National Grand Coalition (NGC).

Before the elections, there were extensive nationwide consultations for a constitutional review led by a Constitutional Review Committee (CRC). The CRC was inaugurated by the Government on 30 July 2013 and had 80 members drawn from political parties, government institutions, NGOs, CSOs, women’s and youth groups, the media, and key independent bodies with a mandate to review the 1991 Constitution and the Public Elections Act of 2012 and proposed necessary amendments. The CRC submitted its report on 24 January 2017 to the government with 13418 recommendations including the fact that: (a) at least 30% of election nominees for each political party in national and local elections must be women; (b) the state to ensure that no more than two-thirds of the members of elective and appointive bodies is of the same gender; (c) parliament to enact legislation to guarantee representation of persons with disability in the parliament and local councils; (d) repeal of racially discriminatory provisions that require Negro-Africa ancestry to be a citizen; (e) reduction of requirement for public officials to step down from 12 months to six months before election; and (f) facilitate the right to vote of Sierra Leoneans in the Diaspora.

In a white paper published on 10 November 2017, the Government rejected 102 of the recommendations on the basis that provisions in the current constitution were adequate or that existing statutes addressed some of the issues raised in the report. 19 Some of the CRC recommendations considered by the white paper included a 30% quota of elective positions for women and 2 terms maximum for the NEC Commissioners. The Government white paper also included other issues that were not addressed by the recommendations made by the CRC such as the proposal to reduce the presidential election threshold from 55% to 50+1% because of cost of run-off elections and national security concerns. Some stakeholders saw the proposal of the Government as attempt to change “the rules of the game” in the lead up to the 2018 elections, and therefore opposed. The White Paper was presented to the former Parliament during its last sitting but was not passed into law because of intense opposition from stakeholders.

The Public Elections Act 2012

17Article 13(1) of AfCHPR and Article 25(b) of ICCPR.18www.democracy.gov.sl/.../report/186-report-of-the-constitutional-r.19 The Carter Center: March 7, 2018 Presidential and parliamentary elections in Sierra Leone Final Report.

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The Public Electoral Act 2012 is the main legal instrument that regulated the conduct of the 2018 elections. It focuses on the registration of voters, presidential elections and election of members of parliament, procedures and arrangements for elections, election of PCMP and Councillors, electoral offences and electoral offences court and campaign periods. In its assessment of the Public Electoral Act, the AUEOM noted some limitations. For instance, although the NEC was expected to register Sierra Leonean voters outside the country, it was still unable to extend voting rights to them.20 Similar to other African countries, logistics and funding challenges may have accounted for the country’s inability to organise elections for citizens in the diaspora.21

Overall, Sierra Leone has adequate legal framework for the conduct of democratic elections and provide opportunity for citizens to participate in the electoral process either as voters or candidates.

(b)The Electoral System

Electoral systems are generally categorized in relation to how votes cast result in the election of representatives22. In Sierra Leone, Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected through a simple plurality majority system (first-past-the-post) and the president is elected by absolute majority in a two-round system. To be elected as president, section 42 (2) of the 1991 Constitution requires a candidate to obtain 55% of valid votes. In the event that no candidate obtains the required 55%, the two front-runners will contest a second round (within 14 days of announcement of the first results) under the First Past the Post (FPTP) system whereby the candidate with plurality assumes the presidency for five years, with a two term limit.

(c) Election Management

An independent and impartial body charged with implementing elections is an important means of ensuring the integrity of the electoral process23. The NEC is an independent constitutional body mandated to conduct all public elections and referenda in Sierra Leone.24 The Commission comprises a Chairperson and four Commissioners who are appointed for a term of five years, renewable once, by the President in consultation with leaders of political parties, and subject to parliamentary approval. Although the Commissioners are appointed by the president, most stakeholders in Sierra Leone were of the view that the NEC was independent and conducted its work without much influence from government institutions. At the operational level, the NEC had structures at the regional and district levels to promote operational efficiency.

20Section 18.21Article 13(1) of AfCHPR and Article 25 of ICCPR.22 Ace Electoral Knowledge Network, The ACE Encyclopaedia: Legal Framework, 201223 The Carter Center, ELECTION OBLIGATIONS AND STANDARDS MANUAL.24Section 33 of the 1991 Constitution, Act No. 6 of 1991, and Section 28 of the Chieftaincy Act, 2009.

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The administrative and other expenses of the NEC are charged on the Consolidated Fund of the Republic.25 The AUEOM was informed of delays in disbursement of funds during the 2018 general elections, which hindered some aspects of preparations for the election. The largest budget of the elections was financed by Sierra Leone government (58%) and 42% by the international community through the UNDP Basket Fund.

In order to ensure increased access to polling stations by voters, the NEC established 11,122 polling stations in 3,300 polling centres spread across the 446 wards, with each polling station having a maximum of 300 voters. During the presidential election run-off the same polling centres and polling stations were used. As part of the preparations, the NEC conducted training for DEOs, Ward Coordinators and polling staff.

To promote participation and inclusion of vulnerable groups, the NEC established a Gender and Disability Unit at its headquarters. It also published a Disability Policy (NECDiP) in 2015. Despite some challenges in implementing the policy at all levels, the NEC hired 19 Persons with Disability (PWDs) as Voter Education Assistants in the 16 districts to facilitate voter education to all PWDs. In addition, tactile ballots were used by the visually impaired to enhance the secrecy of their votes and promote their participation.

The NEC was considered by most stakeholders consulted to be independent and credible, and enjoyed high public trust. The AUEOM assessed the NEC as having handled the preparations for the elections with professionalism. It also kept the public aware through regular updates, the release of public notices, statements and press releases.

(d) Boundary Delimitation

The NEC initiated boundary delimitation exercise between May to December 201626 but was unsuccessful due to a new bill (Cap 60 of the Provinces Act of 2017) introduced by the Ministry of Local Government in Parliament and passed into law on 16 March 2017. The Cap 60 of the Provinces Act (2017) created new regions, districts, chiefdoms and localities, and the NEC had to conduct the boundary delimitation in line with it.

The boundary delimitation exercise created two new districts, Falaba and Karene, 27 in the Northern part of the country. Consequently the NEC created 20 new constituencies, 15 of which were in the Northern region and 5 in the Western region raising concerns from some stakeholders that this was done to give the ruling party (APC) an advantage given that the north was its political stronghold. As a result of the new constituencies, the number of directly elected MP seats rose from 112 to 132, and the number of PCMP from 12 to 14 for the 2018 elections. Compared to the 2012 elections, the number of

25Section 10 (10 of the Public Elections Act.26Section 38 (4) of 1991 Constitution. 27.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts.

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wards increased from 394 to 446, polling centres from 2,998 to 3,300 and polling stations from 9,493 to 11,122.

(e) Voter Registration

Voter registers must be seen as catalogues of citizens who have a right to vote. Therefore, voter registers are fundamental for any voting system and for any electoral legal system28”. And, further, “the rights to vote and to be elected should be enjoyed by citizens without discrimination on the basis of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or status”.29 Under the 1991 Constitution, voter registration is open to citizens of 18 years and above and of sound mind.30 Voter registration for the 2018 elections took place from March to September 2017. According to the figures provided by the NEC, 3,178,663 voters were registered, 53% of who were women. This shows an increment of 1% of women voters as compared to 2012, and provided an opportunity to a large number of Sierra Leoneans, especially first time voters, the opportunity to exercise their constitutional rights to choose their representatives. The number of voters also increased by 15.2% compared to that of 2012. The NEC and the NCRA introduced Smartmatic technology during the voter registration, which improved efficiency in data capturing and credibility of the voters register by gathering biometric and biographic data of the entire population using an identity management solution fully customized to the specific needs of Sierra Leone.31

The NEC distributed more than 95% of voter identification cards. The distribution started on 25 November and ended on 1 December 2017 in all 3,300 Registration centers. After the close of the distribution in registration centers, the NEC continued the process of distribution at the NEC district offices level and made provision for Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora and those who were not able to collect their cards during the stipulated timeframe to collect. This process continued at district offices until 3 February 2018. Efforts was made by the NEC to ensure that voters who could not collect their cards could still vote on Election Day using other forms of identification including national identity card, passport, driving licence or social Insurance Card. This was necessary to ensure that voters who for some reasons could not collect their cards were not disenfranchised.

(f) Candidate Nominations

All the (16) political parties32 registered by the PPRC took part in the 2018 elections and fielded presidential and parliamentary candidates. According to section 42(1) (2) of the 1991 Constitution, presidential candidates must be nominated by political parties, be 40 years, be citizens of Sierra Leone and be qualified to be elected as member of the

28.Ace Electoral Knowledge Network, The ACE Encyclopedia: Legal Framework, 2012 29.Section 25, ICCPR.30.Section 31.31. http://www.smartmatic.com/case-studies/article/sierra-leone-2017-a-national-civil-registry-and-a-voter-register/.32.APC, ADP, CDP, C4C, NDA, NGC, NPD, NURP, PLP, PMDC, ReNIP, RUFP, SLPP, UDM, UNPP & UP.

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parliament. While Sierra Leone may have had a valid reason for restricting candidacy for presidential election to political parties nominees, it discriminated against independent candidates simply because they were not affiliated to a political party,33 thus reducing their right to be elected.

Candidate nominations for all three elections (local council, parliamentary and presidential) were completed in January 2018. Of the 16 presidential candidates, 2 were women (12.5%). The percentage of women presidential candidates increased to 18.75% when running mates are included (6 women out of the 32 candidates). This indicated low participation of women in the electoral process at the highest level. For a complete list of presidential candidates see Annex 1.

A total of 792 candidates were nominated by 16 political parties and another 43 independent candidates participated in the 7 March 2018 general elections for 132 parliamentary seats. The APC and SLPP were able to field candidates in all constituencies followed by C4C, which fielded 129 and the NGC, 127, CDP 109 and the ADP, 35.

The number of contending parties reflected the consistent development of a culture of multiparty politics in Sierra Leone. However, despite the emergence of new parties such as the NGC, APC and SLPP have continued to dominate multiparty politics since independence.

According to PPRC, only 8% of presidential and vice-presidential candidates were women. This increased to 12% for parliamentary candidates nominated by political parties; and 30% with the inclusion of independent candidacies. The discrepancy between the proportion of women candidates nominated by parties and those running independently suggested that political parties continue to be male-dominated. Lack of national legislation or policy, and firm commitment from political parties to support women’s access to leadership positions also contributed to limited participation of women as candidates.

The figure below (Political Parties and independent candidates) shows the representation of women in the 2018 Elections.

Table 1. Representation women in the 2018 ElectionsElections Chairperson Council MayorFemale 6% 17% 30%Male 94% 83% 70%

Women groups and CSOs attributed the low participation women in politics to the patriarchal nature of society that does not promote women in leadership positions and the culture of Secret Societies that undermine women’s role in decision making. It is commendable that the Sierra Leone Police took the decision to ban the activities of

33.U.N. (CCPR), General Comment 25 on the Right to Participate in Public Affairs, Voting Rights, and the Right to Equal Access to Public Service, CCPR/C/21/Rev.1/Add.7 (1996).

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Secret Societies during the elections to improve women participation in the electoral process.

There were reports of discontent during party nominations with regard to awarding of party symbols, leading to some aggrieved party members contesting the parliamentary elections as independent candidates. These intra-party disputes partially contributed to political tension in areas such as Mile 91 in Tonkolili district, where a group of NGC supporters known as ‘Back Tala Boys’ severally intimidated and assaulted people (‘Borderline’) they considered as supporters of their opponent, the APC.

While primaries within political parties represent a positive step in the direction of inclusive and democratic governance of political parties themselves, instances where party symbols are unilaterally awarded, or perceived to be so, stifle internal party democracy.

(g) Civic and Voter Education

A strong voter education program is critical to ensuring the free participation of qualified voters in a genuine election34 and informing and educating voters also implies greater voter participation in electoral processes35. Civic and voter education was conducted by the NEC, political parties and CSOs. While political parties conducted their civic and voter education mainly during campaign rallies, street walks and home to home visits and the media educating their supporters on the importance to register and vote, collect voters cards, understand party’s manifesto and the voting procedures et cetera, the NEC used voter educators on the field, flyers and the media as well to educate the voters on the same need and importance to register and vote, to collect voter card, understand the voting procedures, maintain peace and security and to name just a few. In order to ensure wide outreach, the NEC displayed posters with voting instructions and hired ‘town criers’ to deliver Civic and Voter Education (CVE) messaging in local dialects. The NEC also made commendable effort by including PWDs in civic and voter education. In spite of these efforts, CVE activities encountered a number of challenges including limited funding for CSOs to conduct massive voter education and weak partnership and coordination among the CSOs. On one hand, weakness in voter education may have accounted for the high number of invalid votes (39,427 (5.4%) cast for the 7 March election (ref), on the other hand, the high voter turnout of about 80% reported by the NEC could be attributed to successful civic education by all political and electoral stakeholders.

(h) Electoral Campaign

The official campaign period for the 7 March General Elections began on 4 February and ended 5 March. The campaigns were vigorous, reflecting the competitive nature of the elections. For the run-off presidential elections, campaigns took place from 15 to 25 March initially. However, there was no clear direction for campaigns (between 25 and 31 March) following the court injunction of 24 March that culminated into the 34. Ace Electoral Knowledge Network, the ACE Encyclopedia: Legal Framework, 2012.35. Ace Electoral Knowledge Network, the ACE Encyclopedia: Legal Framework, 2012.

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postponement of presidential election run-off from 27 to 31 March) perhaps due to the fact this was unforeseen.

To promote peace, tolerance and non-violence towards the elections, political parties signed a code of conduct under the auspices of the PPRC, which was also responsible for monitoring compliance and mediating disputes between parties during the campaign period. The code of conduct, among others, required political parties to: co-operate with election officials to ensure safety and security of electoral officials, party agents, accredited election observers and election materials; not indulge in any activity which may create or aggravate tension between race, gender, ethnicity, language , class, region or religion; not use state power, privilege or influence or other public resources for campaign purposes; and not raise any private force or militia or use regular army to gain political or electoral advantage.

There were a number of campaign incidents mainly relating to non-compliance with the campaign calendar as published by the NEC, defacing of posters and other campaign materials, intimidation of female candidates, use of tribal or ethnic campaign and some cases of hate speeches on local radios. During the general elections, violent clashes were also reported, particularly between the APC and SLPP supporters, resulting in destruction of goods and property and injuries. For instance, on 20 February, the SLPP alleged that its presidential candidate was attacked in Kamalo, Karene district that is the home and stronghold of APC presidential candidate. In Kenema, supporters of SLPP and APC clashed after APC’s rally on 26 February. The clashes were characterised by stone throwing, destruction of properties and the blocking of the main road across the city. In polling center 05017 in constituency 039, Falaba district, violence erupted on 14 March over the recount of votes, leading to the disruption and delay of recounting results of the constituency. In Bo district on 15 March, a woman who worked with the NEC during the elections was reported to have been stabbed by APC supporters as she walked through the party’s office.

Towards the run-off, the AUEOM observed that the campaigns were low-key with both APC and SLPP opting for door-to-door sensitization and mobilization. Similar to the general elections, the campaigns were characterized by high political tension, reported incidence of intimidation by supporters of APC and the SLPP in their respective strongholds, and ethnic-based appeals with the tendency to divide the country and set ethnic groups against each other.

For the first time in the history of elections in Sierra Leone, a debate was organized on 15 February with the participation of 6 out of the 16 presidential candidates.36 The debate afforded the candidates the opportunity to articulate their policies and gave Sierra Leoneans the opportunity to assess such policies.

The election manifestos of political parties were almost identical and reflected the development needs of Sierra Leone including economic development, poverty alleviation, and improvement of the health sector, youth employment and fight against corruption. 36.APC, ADP, C4C, CDP, NGC & SLPP.

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Overall, political parties had the opportunity to embark on campaign throughout the country to expose their policies to voters. The incidences of violence that occurred during the elections were unwarranted and had the tendency to tarnish the image of elections as a peaceful democratic contest.

(i) Political Party and Campaign Finance

Section 19 (1) and (2) of the Political Parties Act 2012 states that the source of funds of a political party shall be limited to contributions or donations, whether in cash or kind, of persons who are entitled to be registered as voters in Sierra Leone. It further states in subsection (2) that regulations made by the NEC may provide for limits on the amount of contribution or donation to a political party and the disclosure of information that may limit the influence of money in the political process.

The law does not impose upper limit on campaign financing, and there are no practical measures for tracing of the sources of finance for political parties. As a measure to ensure transparency and accountability in political parties and campaign financing, political parties are inter alia expected to do the following: within 21 days after the notification of the holding of a public election which it intends to contest, submit to PPRC a statement in such form as the Commission may prescribe, of its assets and liabilities37; within 60 days after the declaration of the results of a public election in which it has participated, submit to the PPRC a detailed statement, in such a form as the Commission may prescribe, of all expenditure incurred either by the party or a candidate put up or supported by that political party specifying the manner in which the expenditure was incurred,38 and that the accounts of every political party shall be audited following the standard audit procedure not later than three months after the end of each year by an auditor and a copy of the audited accounts shall be filed by the political party with the Commission39. However, compliance with the above by all political parties remains a challenge. For instance, although legal provisions relating to political parties and campaign financing in Sierra Leone stipulate that campaign funds must come from supporters of political parties, who must be Sierra Leoneans with voting rights, the AUEOM observed the difficulty in establishing compliance to this requirement. As a result, some stakeholders expressed concern about the use of state resources by the incumbent to advance party agenda during the campaign period, and the lack of equal access to the state media.

(j) Participation of women as candidates and in the Electoral Process

Although women constituted a majority of registered voters (52%) for the 2018 general elections, they did not have equal representation as candidates. In the absence of legal requirements for women’s inclusion, the nomination of women candidates by political parties in Sierra Leone continues to remain low. Out of the 16 presidential candidates, only 2 were women (12.5%). For the parliamentary elections, out of the 795 candidates,

37.Section 21 (1), Political Parties Act, 2002.38.Section 21 (2), Political Parties Act, 2002.39.Section25 (3), Political Parties Act, 2002.

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only 100 were female. Also of the 2,745 candidates for Mayoral and Local Council, 498 were women.

Among the principal barriers to female participation in the 2018 elections were an absence of legal framework and political will to promote women, long-standing societal attitudes and the lack of adequate financial resources for female candidates.

While women participation in the elections was considerably low, the NEC made commendable efforts to include more women as polling officials except in difficult areas such as Falaba district where none of the 18 Ward Coordinators were women. Participation of women polling officials at every polling station during the 7 March general elections was an average of 3 out of 7, and 2 out of 5 during the 31 March presidential run-off. Political parties also made efforts to include an appreciable number of women as their agents with an average of 2 out of 7 during the 7 March general elections and 1 out of 5 during the 31 March presidential run-off.

The level of participation of Sierra Leonean women in the electoral process as shown above is very low in comparison to regional and international commitment of the country under the ECOWAS Gender and Elections Strategic Framework (GESF) and Action Plan (2016, the Supplementary Act relating to Equality of Rights between Men and Women for Sustainable Development in the ECOWAS Region (2017), Article 9 of the 2003 Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) and the ACDEG. All these documents require signatory countries to create necessary conditions for full and active participation of women in decision-making and electoral processes, and ensure gender parity in representation at all levels, including the legislature.

(k) Participation of Civil Society Organisations, Youth and Persons Living with Disabilities in the Electoral Process

The involvement of CSOs and coalition of CSOs in the 2018 electoral process contributed to promoting transparent, credible and peaceful elections. CSOs such as NEW, CGG, SEND and WANEP, among others, supported civic and voter education, peaceful elections, the training of female candidates, election observation and advocacy for democratic rights. It is commendable that the NEW managed to deploy observers in all polling stations throughout the country. The setting-up of situation rooms and carrying out of Parallel Voter Tabulation (PVT) also contributed to credible elections. The SEND also provided training for 55 female parliamentary and councillor candidates in Kenema, 53 in Kono and 78 in Kailahun district was very important for enhancing women participation in the electoral process. The Advocacy Movement Network supported a number of women in Koinadugu and Falaba who participated in the parliamentary and councillor elections during the 7 March elections within its Women Empowerment for Leadership and Development program funded by USAID. The support was limited to training, and production of IEC materials. Out of the 23 women supported by CSOs, 5 were elected as councillors. In Kailahun 6 councillors and 2 Members of Parliament (MP) were successful, in Kenema 11 Councillors and one MP while in Kono 9 Councillors and 1 MP were elected.

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The working relationship between the NEC and CSOs through weekly coordination meetings went a long way to promote inclusion and transparency in the electoral process. Overall, the role of CSOs in the electoral process was crucial for ensuring peaceful, transparent and credible elections, and was therefore, commendable.

(l) Media

The media is a crucial information dissemination tool during elections period. The right of voters therefore “to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choices,40 should be implemented during elections. In Sierra Leone, the PEA 2012 requires national radio and television stations to provide equal airtime to each candidate and political party during election campaign period41. During the elections, media peer-monitoring mechanisms were established to promote fairness in the coverage of media activities. Concerted efforts by regulatory authorities such as the Independent Media Commission and CSOs, helped ensure conflict-sensitive reporting and swift response to cases of inflammatory statements. Despite the media Code of Conduct prescribing provisions of equal access and coverage to all political parties during elections campaign, there was an absence of specific restrictions on paid-up campaign advertisement. Some political parties consequently expressed their dissatisfaction over unequal access to state media.

One major concern during the elections was related to the spread of fake news on social media. The Independent Media Commission deployed monitors in all regions and in some districts to monitor radio stations’ compliance to the Media Code of Conduct. Violations were noted and forwarded to the Commission for investigation and appropriate action.

The media played a leading role in the organisation of several debates before the election. Following the historic 15 February Presidential Debate, on 22 February a second debate was held convening parliamentary and local council candidates of the younger generation. There was a third debate on 1 March involving women candidates. The events, respectively called “Youth Debate” and “Women’s Debate”, were covered by national media and broadcasted live across the country. Beyond serving as campaign activities they offered a platform for candidates to convince the voters. They also served as opportunities to promote the participation of young people and women in politics. While this is commendable, it is noteworthy that only six candidates participated in the presidential debate because the others did not meet the threshold set by debate committee.

(m) Election Security

The enhancement of electoral security is an important measure to secure peace during the electoral process. This is more so as insecurity threatens, and can even jeopardize 40. Section 19 of ICCPR.41. Section 156 (1).

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the electoral process. Security during the elections in Sierra Leone was informed by the country’s history of civil war. Consequently, electoral stakeholders placed emphasis on risk monitoring and conflict prevention. For instance, the Office of National Security (ONS) conducted a threat analysis and developed an elections security strategy. The ONS also provided daily updates of the security situation and thus contributed to conducive framework for strategic management of security-related issues by the security sector.

In this context, the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) played a key role in securing the electoral process, in close collaboration with other security institutions.

Some CSOs also conducted hotspots’ mapping and monitoring to complement the efforts of the ONS and the SLP. These activities allowed for the identification of high risk areas to be monitored through different approaches, such as situation rooms. Besides the situation rooms of the ONS, the AUEOM noted the setting up of several situation rooms operated by the media associations, women’s organisations and peace building networks. Some of these situation rooms were decentralized, providing for easier access to local-level monitoring of potential violence.

The general political-electoral environment ahead of the 7 March 2018 polls was largely calm and peaceful despite isolated incidents of violence and political intolerance. However, the run up to the second round of presidential election and the post-election environment/period was characterised by uncertainties which led to anxiety among electoral stakeholders and the people of Sierra Leone at large. To this end, the AUEOM and other international election observation missions facilitated dialogue among political actors to avert any potential electoral crisis and violence.

The SLP issued a public notice for restriction of vehicular movements on both 7 March and 31 March elections in district capitals from 6 am to 7 pm. While this measure was intended as a security precaution, it caused discontent among some stakeholders, who perceived it as an unnecessary restriction of the constitutional right to free movement and also contrary to regional and international treaties42. Despite the polemic, the Mission observed that the implementation of the ban on vehicular movements went smoothly. However, the limitation of the ban to district capitals was not sufficiently communicated to the public, which resulted in situations where voters in rural areas wrongly thought they were banned from vehicular movement on Election Day.

The NEC maintained a cordial working relationship with the SLP in order to effectively secure the electoral process. However, the relationship soared when on 21 March the NEC accused the SLP of intimidation and harassment. The NEC headquarters issued a strong statement expressing their concern and disappointment with the SLP for entering their premises and randomly interrogating the NEC staff. The SLP responded, expressing their surprise at the accusation while noting that they had sought permission from the NEC Chairperson, which was granted, to speak with the NEC Executive Secretary. In their response, SLP indicated that the meeting was set to be at the Executive Secretary’s offices and they left after not receiving the necessary

42. Article 12(2) of AfCHRP and Article 12(2) of ICCPR.

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cooperation. While this occurrence fueled the existing perception of partisanship of SLP towards APC, subsequent activities that required the NEC’s and SLP’s collaboration were not affected.

(n) Election Dispute Resolution

The role of an impartial and independent judiciary in dealing expeditiously with electoral disputes is very important for democratic consolidation and prevention of election related violence. In Sierra Leone, in line with the electoral laws, cases relating to presidential candidates are determined by the Supreme Court.43 An objection against the nomination of a presidential candidate is heard by the Supreme Court made up of three Justices whose decision is given within 30 days of the lodging of the objection. On its part, cases relating to nomination of a parliamentary candidate are referred to and determined by the Returning Officer of the area44 concerned and a decision must be made before six o’clock in the afternoon of the last day appointed for the receipt of nominations45. A candidate not satisfied with the decision of the Returning Officer may appeal to the Electoral Commission46 whose decision shall be final and can only be questioned by way of an election petition at the High Court.47

Some citizens took advantage of the opportunity that the Constitutions offered for addressing elections disputes and filed cases before the 7 March General elections. Two prominent cases were filed at the Supreme Court in relation to the candidacy of NGC and APC presidential candidates. While that against the NGC candidate, Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella was a full-fledged objection or petition filed on 5 February based on the constitutional ground that he was a U.S citizen and therefore not eligible to contest for the presidential election, that against the ruling APC party candidate, Dr. Samura Kamara filed on 26 February was an application for the Supreme Court to extend timeframe within which an objection challenging his nomination as well could be filed. After several adjournments, both cases were heard and the rulings reserved. It is important to note that while these cases were not determined on time and before the elections as prescribed by the Sierra Leone Constitution and regional and international standards, it was clear from reactions of some of the party supporters and stakeholders that the electoral process would have been tainted with violence or disruption had any of the candidates been disqualified. The inability of the Courts to determine the cases created uncertainties regarding the intentions of the Court even if it did not have dire consequence on the election.

43Section 45(2) (a) of 1991 Constitution.44Section 63(1) of Public Elections Act 2012.45Section 63(3) of Public Elections Act 2012.46Section 63 (5) of Public Elections Act 2012.47Section 63(6) of Public Elections Act.

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V. ELECTION DAY OBSERVATION

Election days for both the general elections and the presidential run-off offered Sierra Leoneans opportunity to express their views through the ballots. There were no major incidents that led to the denial of voters the opportunity to cast their votes. Voter turnout on 7 March was 85% of total registered voters compared to a turn-out of 81% during the run-off. The latter figure is a representation of fair commitment by the people of Sierra Leone in their democratic processes and is in line with the international standard on universal suffrage as prescribed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights48 and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance49. While

48Article 25(b).49Article 4(2).

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voters for Constituency 123 in Western Area Urban district, Bonthe Municipal Council in Bonthe district, Ward 353 in Pujehun district and Ward 055 in Kenema district were not able to cast their votes for Parliamentary and Council elections during the general elections, they were given the opportunity to do so during the presidential run-off. Overall, voting day for both elections was generally peaceful, professional and inclusive. Despite some hitches recorded such as late opening of some polling stations, postponement of election in above mentioned areas, security challenges, counting and tallying, the electoral process guaranteed both universal and equal suffrage and the results largely reflected the free will of the Sierra Leonean voters.

On 7 March, the AUEOM observed the opening and closing processes in 18 polling stations and observed the voting process in 192 polling stations of which 55.2% (106) were in rural areas and 44.8% (86) in urban areas. During the run-off presidential election, the AUEOM on Election Day visited 156 polling stations including the opening, voting, closing and counting procedures in rural areas (48.7%) and in urban areas (51.3%).

(a) Opening of the Polls

During the general election on 7 March, the AUEOM observed the opening of 18 polling stations in 15 districts: 88.9% (16) of the polling stations in urban areas and 11.1% (2) in rural areas.

The AUEOM observed congestion of voters outside some polling centres and proximity of some polling stations in a given centre thereby making it difficult for voters to identify their allocated stations. Once at the polling centres, some observers noted that voters were not properly directed to the appropriate polling stations but measures were taken by the NEC officials to help them identify their polling stations. Where there was late opening of polls at 38.9% (7) of stations visited, voting began no later than 7:30 a.m. except for Mayoral election at isolated places in Bonthe. The late opening was largely due to the late set-up of polling stations by officials and in one case, the late arrival of polling materials (ballot boxes, presiding officer's journal) at the Any Court Barray polling centre in Bonthe.

As part of the electoral procedures, ballot boxes were sealed correctly in every station where the Mission observed the opening in the presence of party agents and observers before voting begun. The AU observers noted that the layout of the polling stations promoted orderly voting and secrecy of the ballot.

During the second presidential election, all teams of observers reported a peaceful environment inside and outside the polling stations with the exception of one (1) in Kroo House 16163 polling centre, Western Urban, where poor crowd control and visible campaign materials near the perimeter of the station was reported. Observers also reported queues outside the polling stations at 92.3% (12) of polling stations visited prior to opening. However, these queues were not lengthy compared to the first round.

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Observers also reported late opening at two (2) of the 13 polling stations visited, however, voting began no later than 7:15 a.m. Similar to the 7 March general elections, the late opening was also due to poor preparations by polling officials thus leaving voters in queues for 40 minutes before voting in a polling centre at Kroo Court House polling centre in Western Urban. The cause of the delay was due to the need to properly inform party agents of the voting procedures.

A peaceful environment inside and outside the polling stations at the opening of polls was observed by the AUEOM teams in polling stations visited. Election materials were present at all polling stations visited by the AU Observers except for the voting screens at Konomyn Glory Park oiling Centre in Kono District.

AU observers reported that the competence of the polling staff during the opening process was largely good, showing much improvement from the first round held on 7 March 2018.

(b) Polling Station

The same polling stations and centres were used for the general elections and the presidential run-off. The AUEOM reported that majority of polling stations were accessible to all voters including people living with a disability. Where the stations were reported as not easily accessible, stairs and uneven platforms were cited as main reasons. AU observers reported that 94.4% of the polling stations visited had queues and that 88.9% of the polling stations were easily accessible for the elderly and PWDs while 11.1% were not due to stairs or uneven platforms leading to the polling stations. The layout of polling stations visited by the AUEOM during the two (2) polling days promoted orderly voting and secrecy of the ballot. However, the AUEOM noted difficulties by some voters in locating their polling stations but were further directed by polling centre managers. In addition, the AUEOM noted that some polling centres hosted up to 13 polling stations. Where multiple polling stations were set up in open polling centres such as in Aberdeen open space polling centre in Freetown, Western urban region, the AUEOM was of the view that such a set up might affect the focus of polling personnel during closing and counting procedures.

(c) Voting Process

Voting procedures were followed in most cases such as voters identities being checked against the voters roll; and the voters’ left index fingers were marked with indelible ink after signing the electoral roll and in some cases voters were turned away mainly for being at the wrong station. Also in instances where assisted voting was required, a person chosen by voter and polling personnel provided the assistance.

No forms of irregularity were observed during the voting process except in cases where ballot papers were not placed in the ballot boxes by the voters themselves during the general elections. Rather it was the Ballot Controlling Officers who were collecting ballot papers from the voters and placing them in the ballot boxes after folding. This occurred at Kulafai Rashideen Primary School polling centre, Western Urban, Western Region. In

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another instance during the presidential run-off, at Movement of Faith Primary School, Matham polling centre in Kambia, North West region, a voter without a voter’s card but with their name on the register was allowed to vote after party agents, local observers and the NEC Officials agreed. In 5.1% (8), voters were turned away mostly for being at the wrong polling station.

During the general elections, AU observers reported sufficient polling materials in 98.6% of polling stations visited. However, the voting process was stopped in 2.1% of the polling stations due to insufficient materials. Similarly, during the presidential run-off, observers reported sufficient polling materials in all polling stations visited, except Simbakoro Market, Konomyn Glory Park, and Assemblies of God School polling centres in Kono which did not have voting screens, consolidated voters’ register, and batteries for lamps, respectively. A polling station at Court Barray, Yamadu Town in Bo, was also reported as not having batteries for lamps, rubber bands, and scissors.

The AUEOM observed no forms of irregularity during the voting process and was satisfied with the process and assessed it as generally good. Overall, observers were satisfied with the voting process in most polling stations, and the overall conduct of polling procedures was assessed as generally good during both election days.

(d) Polling Personnel

For both elections, most polling stations were managed by the correct number of polling staff, about 41% of who were women. AU observers also noted the high representation of young people among the polling staff, and who performed their duties competently, adhering to procedures in accordance with the laws and electoral regulations. Compared with the general elections, the polling staff at the presidential election run-off worked efficiently due to less workload. Some of the stations visited had between 3 and 4 staff against 5 that were earlier scheduled by the NEC.

(e) Party Agents and Independent Observers

The presence of political party agents and domestic observers at all the polling stations on Election Day was observed. The role of NEW, a coalition of CSOs, as observers was significant given that they managed to deploy observers in all polling stations. However, the low presence of women as political party agents was noted. The presence of domestic observer groups was noted at most polling stations visited by the AUEOM with the presence of women domestic observers amounting to 41% of observers. On the other hand political parties had fewer women as agents compared to domestic observers and polling officials.

The adequate presence of party agents in the polling stations went a long way to enhance the transparency and confidence in the voting process.

(f) Security Personnel

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Security personnel were present at most voting stations visited by the Mission, and remained present during the closing and counting processes. In some occurrences, their presence was not visible to the public (18.8%). AU observers described the security presence, which was deemed sometimes insufficient as mostly ‘discreet’ and ‘professional’. During the presidential run-off, in some cases, armed security personnel were found inside polling stations with instances of interference at ST. Charles Primary School, Gbo in Kenema District. Further, in Dima Junction-Wahmann Abu road polling center in Kenema, Eastern region, AU Observers reported an altercation between armed security personnel and the NEC officials when they were stopped from voting at the station due to the fact that their names were not found in the voters’ register.

(e) Closing and Counting Processes

The AUEOM observed closing and counting procedures in 18 polling stations of 13 districts in all regions: 83.3% (15) in urban and 16.7% (3) in rural areas. Ninety-four per cent (94.1%) of the stations visited closed at 5:00 pm while 5.9% remained opened for 15 minutes to compensate for late opening. The Mission observed that there were no voters on the queue at closing of polls. In all 18 polling stations, vote counting was conducted at the polling station in accordance with the counting procedures. For instance, the counting was done in full view of party agents and observer groups and in all 18 polling stations, no interference was witnessed in the counting process. Also, there were no records of irregularities with the ballot boxes and no AU observer reported a discrepancy with the reconciliation. The Mission reported that 23.5% of the stations where the count was observed did not have adequate lighting. The AUEOM observed the competence of the polling staff and party agents during closing and counting procedures as largely good.

All polling stations visited closed at 5:00 pm and counting was done in the presence of party agents, security personnel, domestic and international observers during the presidential run-off. During the closing and counting processes, polling staff showed improvement compared to the 7 March General Elections. The AU Observers reported that the overall assessment of the closing and counting processes was very good in 38.5% (5) and good in 61.5% (8). At the end of the counting, the Results and Reconciliation Forms (RRFs) were posted at polling stations visited. There was the presence of security personnel inside the polling stations observed during the closing of polls. Overall, their conduct was assessed as largely good and very good in some instances.

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IV. POST ELECTION OBSERVATION

The post-election environment immediately following both elections was characterized by tension as the country waited for the final announcement of results. In particular, the political atmosphere following the announcement of the final results of 7 March elections indicating that there would be a presidential run-off between the two major parties, the APC and the SLPP was characterized by regrouping of political parties in preparation for the presidential run-off. The period also saw a rise in political tension including the High Court injunction that led to the postponement of the run-off election originally scheduled for 27 March. Political tension also heightened tribal politics among the supporters of APC and SLPP in their respective strongholds.

As a measure to curb malpractices and ensure efficiency during the run-off, the NEC also took the step to blacklist approximately 1,547 temporary staff that participated in

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the 7 March elections and informed relevant districts. This measure was attributed to their poor performance during the 7 March election, with specific reference to failure to show up at workstations, counting, reconciliation and filling of the RRFs among other procedural errors.

For both elections, the tabulation took long to be completed, in some cases stalled due to the fact that parties challenged the process. For instance, the tabulation process was stalled due to disagreement over where to do the tabulation, at the district or regional centres. It took the involvement of the international election observation mission and national stakeholders to reach an understanding to enable the tallying process to proceed, leading to the announcement of the final results.

(a) Results Tabulation

General Elections

The AUEOM observed the transfer of results from districts to the regional tally centers where the RRFs were processed. The processing of RRFs took considerable time due to instances where parties or the NEC officials could not agree on the integrity of the forms. Such disagreements were dealt with by setting aside the form for further investigation. There were also instances where tallying centers were thrown into chaos such as in polling center 05017 in constituency 039 in Falaba district where party agents for both APC and SLPP allegedly stormed the centre, resulting in the NEC Commissioner invoking Military Aid to Civilian Power (MACP), thus permitting the military, instead of the regular police, to secure the polling center. There were also instances of allegation of malpractices against some NEC officials. In one such case, some NEC staff including the DEO of Falaba DEO was held in custody for some days pending investigation on alleged over-voting.50

Consequently, several political parties filed complaints to the NEC and requested re-counts over alleged over-voting and in other cases irregularities on the RRF forms. Based on discussions with the political parties that requested recounts, the NEC ordered recounts in 154 polling stations as prescribed by Section 87(1) of the PEA51 and invalidated results of 221 polling stations due to over voting.

In an attempt to address concerns of political parties and the public regarding the tabulation and announcement of results, the NEC provided results through regular updates, the release of public notices, statements and press releases.

Presidential Election Run-off

50.At the time of writing this report, the incident was still under investigation by the regional Crime Investigation Division (CID).51.Section 87 (1) of PEA: Where the votes cast at a Presidential election at a polling station exceed the number of registered voters in that polling station, the result of the election for that polling shall be declared null and void by the Electoral Commission and another election may be conducted at a date to be fixed by the Commission where the result of that polling station may affect the overall result in the election.

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The presidential election run-off results tabulation delayed considerably as a result of a suit filed by Sorie Koroma 52 at the High Court on 20 March against the NEC Chairman, the NEC and the Attorney General and Minister of Justices, seeking, among others, an order restraining the NEC from continuing with preparations for the 27 March presidential election run-off until certain conditions53 were fulfilled. The High Court subsequently issued an interim injunction on 24 March restraining the NEC from proceeding with preparations to conduct the election on 27 March. Although the Court on 26 March vacated the injunction and ordered the NEC to comply to the letter with the provisions of Section 9454 of the Public Elections Act 2012, the decision of the Court created tension and impacted on the timelines of the election. Subsequently the election had to be rescheduled to 31 March 2018 instead of the original date of 27 March. In practice, this provision has never been complied with to the letter, including the 7 March general elections during which results tabulation was done at the regional offices, though on district by district basis, and not at district offices.

Immediately after 31 March presidential election run-off, the APC insisted that the NEC implement the High Court orders and tabulate the results at district offices, and not in regional offices. Consequently, results tabulation stalled until the APC and SLPP presidential candidates and the NEC reached an agreement55 at Bintumani Hotel for the NEC to proceed with results tabulation. Following the agreement, tabulation of results finally started on 2 April at the regional levels. The agreement was facilitated by the Heads of international election observation missions and contributed immensely to peaceful and credible elections.56

(b) Announcement of Results

General Elections

Delays in releasing the first set of presidential election results (based on results from 25% of polling stations of each district) created suspicion among political parties and increased tension among the public. As a result, some political parties accused the NEC of poor management of the counting and tallying processes. After the initial delays, the NEC announced the final results on 13 March.

52.EP3/18 2018 K. NO.153.One of them being that a forensic audit should be conducted on the internal systems of the NEC.54.Section 94(1): Upon receipt of the statement of the result of the poll from all the polling stations located in the district, the District Returning Officer shall compile a summary of all the statements of the results from the polling stations concerned and certify as many copies as may be required of each summary to the Regional Returning Officer showing the number of votes cast for each constituency candidate or, as the case may be, each candidate in any other election held on the same day. Section 94(2): Certified copies of the summary compiled under subjection (1) shall be supplied to observers. 55.Annex # 02: The APC, SLPP & the NEC agreement on compilation of results at the NEC regional offices.56. H. E John Dramani Mahama, former president of Ghana and Commonwealth head of mission, H. E Ngalema Motlanthe, former president of South Africa and AU head of mission and H. E Amos Sawyer, the former president of Liberia and ECOWAS head of mission.

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As prescribed by Section 87 of the PEA 2012, the AUEOM noted the exclusion of presidential election results of 221 polling stations from all the 16 districts57 due to over-voting. Although the cancellations were within the law, most CSOs and voters expressed concerns about it due to the fact that it denied voters the right for their votes to be counted.

Table 3: Presidential election results, 7 March 2018

No. Candidate Name Party No. of valid Votes

% of valid votes

1. Kamara, Samuru Mathew Wilson APC 1,082,748 42.7%2. Mansaray, Mohamed Kamaraimba ADP 26,704 1.1%3 Tarawally, Musa CDP 11,493 0.5%4 Sam-Sumana, Samuel C4C 87,720 3.5%5 Bah, Mohamed Chemoh NDA 8,344 0.3%6 Yumkella, Kandeh Kolleh NGC 174,014 6.9%7 O’Dwyer, Patrick John NPD 4,239 0.2%8 Sandy, Jonathan Patrick NURP 2,318 0.1%9 Conteh, Kandeh Baba PLP 4,233 0.2%10 Margai, Charles Francis PMDC 9,864 0.4%11 Williams, Beresford Victor RNIP 2,555 0.1%12 Ngobeh, Gbandi Jemba RUFP 12,827 0.5%13 Bio, Julius Maada SLPP 1,097,482 43.3%14 Sowa-Turay, Mohamed UDM 5,695 0.2%15 Kabuta, SAA Henry UNPP 3,061 0.1%16 Claudius-Cole, Josephine Olufrmi UP 3,825 0.2%

Based on the table above, no presidential candidate obtained the constitutional threshold of 55% of the valid votes cast.58Consequently a presidential election-runoff was expected to be held within fourteen (14) days of the announcement of results of the first round between the two candidates with the highest number of valid votes cast. 59 However, due to the above-mentioned High Court interim injunction, the run-off initially scheduled for 27 March was held on 31 March.

In the parliamentary election, APC won 68 out of 132 parliamentary seats against 49 seats won by the now ruling SLPP. The fact that the opposition APC has majority of seat could promote bi-partisanship in the national assembly and further enhance democracy. Two other parties the C4C and NGC won 8 and 4 seats respectively, while the remaining three seats went to independent candidates. In terms of gender, 17 women were elected.60

Presidential Election Run-off

57.Excluded polling stations’ results by district: Bo (6); Bombali (8); Bonthe (4); Falaba (6); Kailshun (10); Kambia (32); Karene (7); Kenema (27); Koinadugu (5); Kono (17); Moyamba (11); Port Loko (38); Pujehun (5); Tonkolili (13); Western Area Rural; (5) and Western Area Urban (27).58.Section 42(2) (e) of 1991 Constitution.59.Section 42(2)(f) of 1991 Constitution.60.2 in BO, 2 in Kailiahun, 1 in Karene, 1 in Kono, 1 in Kenema, 1 in Moymba, 1 in Pujehun and 1 in Tonkolili and 5 in Western Region.

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The NEC announced the presidential election run-off at 10 pm on 5 April 2018. The opposition’s SLPP presidential candidate Julius Maado Bio got 51.81% of valid votes cast and was declared the president-elect, while the ruling APC candidate, Dr. Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara, received 48.19% of valid votes cast. Below are details of the results as declared by the NEC.

Table 4: Presidential election run-off results, 31 March 2018No. Candidate Name Party Votes1. Dr. Samura Kamara APC 1,227,171 (48.19%)2. Julius Maado Bio SLPP 1,319,406 (51.81%)

Total registered voters 3, 172, 546Total Number of valid votes cast 2, 546,577

Total Number of invalid votes cast 31,694 % Invalid votes cast 1.24%

Total Number of votes cast 2,578,271

% Turnout 81.11

(c) Election Dispute Resolution

Section 137 of the PEA 2012 and section 131 of the 1991 Constitution established the Election Offences Court in the division of the High Court with the objective of trying electoral offences. Before the elections, in November 2017, the Chief Justice of Sierra Leone appointed 10 Judges to the Court, which would sit in circuits throughout the country. In line with the electoral law, cases relating to parliamentary elections are referred to and determined by the High Court61, and any appeal shall lie at the Appeal Court62, and the decision of the appeal Court shall be final. With regard to presidential election, related cased are handled by the Supreme Court. Only a citizen of Sierra Leone who voted in the presidential election may challenge the validity of that election within seven (7) days after the declaration of the results63.

A High Court Interim Injunction against the electoral process

Following the release of the 7 March presidential election results, the NEC came under attack for irregularities during voting and poor management of the results. Consequently, the APC party through one of its supporters and former aspirant, Ibrahim Sorie Koroma, on 20 March filed a suit64 against the NEC Chief Commissioner, the NEC and the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, requesting, among other things; that a forensic audit be conducted on the entire electioneering system, issue an interim injunction restraining the NEC Chief Commissioner and the NEC from conducting the presidential election run-off slated for 27 March. On Friday 23 March, the case was partially heard and adjourned to Saturday 24 March during which the Court issued an interim injunction suspending preparations by the NEC to conduct elections on 27

61. Section 78(1)(a) 1991 Constitution.62. Section 78(3) 1991 Constitution.63.Section 55(1) of PEA 2012.64.EP318 2018K1 Ibrahim Sorie Koroma V. Chief Electoral Commissioner, NEC and AG, 20 March.

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March. On 26 March the Court revoked the injunction and made a number of orders 65 for the NEC to implement. On the same day, and based on application made by the NEC, the Supreme Court extended the 14-day constitutional deadline after announcement of the first round results for holding the run-off on 31 March. Though the injunction delayed the electoral process, it helped to create more confidence in the rule of the judiciary in the process in particular and in the entire electoral process in general as some of the orders made by the Court were implemented and which thus improved the presidential election run-off and by-elections.

Election Petitions Challenging the Election of President Julius Maada Bio

Following the declaration of the election of President Julius Maado Bio, two election petitions were filed before the Supreme Court against his election. On 9 April, Dr. Sylvia Blyden filed the first petition, and on 10 April, APC presidential candidate and loser at the presidential election run-off Dr. Samura kamara filed another, arguing that irregularities deprived him of victory, and citing over–voting, among other things. The Election Petition Rules, 2007, does not specify time frame for trial of election petitions66. This may give room for such trials to be prolonging unnecessarily, with negative impact on witnesses and evidence.

Electoral Offences Court

Section 137 of the PEA 2012 in line with section 131 of the 1991 constitution established Election Offences Court in the division of the High Court with the objective of trying electoral offences. In November 2017, the Chief Justice of Sierra Leone appointed 10 Judges to the Court, which can sit in circuits throughout the country. Furthermore, pursuant to section 131 of the Constitution, the AUEOM noted that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has established an Electoral Offences Court, and appointed ten (10) Judges to try electoral offences. The Court was expected to sit in circuits across the country. The Mission noted that the Electoral Offences Court had started work and had tried and convicted some cases. For instance, in Kenema district, two NEC staff had been sentenced to one year imprisonment or pay a fine of Le 5 million for issuing a ballot paper to a person who was not a registered voter.

(d) Swearing-in of President-elect, Julius Maado Bio

65.Some of the orders include: the NEC to ensure that both political parties’ agents to the run-off election are given tamper evidence envelope (TEE) containing signed copies of Election results at each polling station nationwide; the results from the districts and or regions be manually transferred to the NEC’s tally center and/or headquarters in a transparent and all inclusive manner; the political parties accredited agents shall monitor the transportation and transfer of all sensitive polling materials; and that the provisions of Section 94 of the Public Elections Act 2012, (Act No. 4 of 2012) shall be complied with to the letter.66.Section 31(1): The time and place of the trial of each petition shall be fixed by a Judge.

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Section 42 (3) of the Sierra Leone 1991 Constitution provides that a person elected to the office of the president shall assume office on the day upon which he is declared elected by the Returning Officer, or upon the date that his predecessor’s term of office expires, whichever is the latter. Accordingly, within two hours after being declared the president-elect, the Chief Justice of Sierra Leone swore in Julius Maado Bio at the Raddisson Blu Hotel in Freetown as the President. It was noted that although this has been the practice, concerns and allegations were raised immediately after the SLPP government took over, that tens of government vehicles went missing in the course of the sudden transition. The limited or no time for proper transition planning and handover of government properties may have contributed to this corruptible practice.

VII. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

(a) Conclusion

Based on observations and findings, the AUEOM considered that, despite isolated incidence of violence and legal wrangling before, during and after the elections, the 7 March General Elections and the 31 March Presidential Run-off were conducted in accordance with the laws of Sierra Leone in a peaceful, transparent and orderly manner. It is the AUEOM’s assessment that the elections met most of the key benchmarks of national, regional, continental and international standards for democratic elections.

(b) Recommendations

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Based on the aforementioned observations and findings, the AUEOM makes the following recommendations in order to improve future electoral processes in Sierra Leone:

To the Government:

Review and legislate on the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) Report published on 24 January 2017 and the Government White Paper published on 10 November 2017 and embark on electoral and legal reforms aimed at filling the gaps that exist in the 1991 Constitution and the Public Elections Act (PEA) of 2012. The review should take into account issues relating to independent presidential candidates, the 55% threshold to win presidential election, elaborate and clear regulations on campaign finance; and establish a transitional arrangements that allows for effective handover of power from one regime to another before the swearing in of the elected President;

Disburse funds for the electoral process on time to the NEC to enable timely and efficient preparation of the process; and

Enhance women’s participation in the elective positions by aligning national legal framework with regional and international standards towards appropriate affirmative action measures, including quotas and reduced nomination fees ahead of future elections.

The National Electoral Commission:

Reinforce the training of polling personnel on results management, especially on the filling of Results Reconciliation Forms and the issue of over-voting, in order to enhance and accelerate the results process at polling stations;

Adhere to and implement the legal requirements, such as establishing tally centres in all the 16 districts in line with Section 94 of the PEA, 2012;

De-congest over-crowded polling centres by limiting the number of polling stations in such polling centres with the view of maintaining orderliness at polling centres/stations;

Put in place measures such as providing lightening system like torch lamps in remote areas to avoid counting of results in darkness; and

Maintain a cordial working relationship with the Police throughout the entire electoral process in order to effectively secure the process.

Security Agencies:

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Work in collaboration with the NEC on issues relating to election security to avoid perception of intimidation of the NEC officials;

Measures to ensure security on Election day such as restriction of vehicular movement should be negotiated with other electoral stakeholders and implemented in a manner that do not affect the participation of voters in the electoral process; and

The presence of security officers at polling stations should be visible throughout the entire process.

Political Parties and candidates:

Commit to parties’ transparent governance in order to foster and maintain the trust of their members, and uphold the credibility of parties and the electoral process during candidates’ nomination process;

Avoid ethnic-based campaign messaging during and promote peace and harmony between Sierra Leoneans, political parties and ethnic groups before, during and after the elections; and

Advocate for the creation of favourable conditions such as women quota to foster women’s access to leadership positions within political parties.

The Media:

Strive for equitable, investigative, responsible and ethical reporting of the electoral processes to contribute to a peaceful atmosphere before, during and after the elections; and

Refrain from encouraging and broadcasting/publishing hate speeches and tribal politics.

The Judiciary:

Adjudicate on election petitions within the timeframe as prescribed by the 1991 Constitution and the Public Electoral Act, 2012.

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Annex 1: List of Presidential Candidates No. Political Parties Presidential Candidates

1. All People’s Congress (APC) Kamara Samura Mathew2. Alliance Democratic Party (ADP Mansaray Mohamed K.3. Citizen’s Democratic Party (CDP Tarawally Musa4. Coalition for Change (C4C) Sam-Sumara Samuel5. National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Bah Mohamed C.6. National Grand Coalition (NGC) Yumkella Kandeh Kolleh7. National Progressive Democrats (NPD) O’Dweyer Patrick John8. National Unity and Reconciliation Party (NURP) Sandy Jonathan Patrick9. Peace and Liberation Party (PLP) Conteh Kandeh baba10. People’s Movement for Democratic Change

(PMDC)Margai Chalres Francis

11. Republic National Independent Party (ReNIP) Williams Berestford Victor

12. Revolutionary United Front Party (RUFP) Ngobeh Gbandi Jemba13. Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) Bio Julius Maada14. United Democratic Movement (UDM) Sowa Turay Mohamed

15. United National People’s Party (UNPP) Kabuta Henry Benedict16. Unity Party (UP) Claudisu-Cole Josephine

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Home | African Union - ABBREVIATION/ACRONYMS · Web viewIt is the AUEOM’s assessment that the elections met most of the key benchmarks of national, regional, continental and international