ECOWAS observers say presidential, NASS election generally peaceful, transparent
IMAGE: (L-R) Secretary of State for Defence the Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP meets the President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma. DEFENCE Secretary, Michael Fallon, has said that UK personnel have made a vital contribution to tackle Ebola, during a visit to Sierra Leone. Arriving in the West African state, Mr Fallon met with the President, His Excellency, President Ernst Bai Koromo, at the State House in Freetown. Their meeting began with an Ebola handshake, a greeting now widespread in Sierra Leone where elbows are offered, to avoid any potential transmission of the disease through body contact. Mr Fallon then visited sites where the British military have provided key support, including the Kerry Town Treatment Unit (KTTU) where regular and reserve military medics are treating healthcare workers with Ebola; the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Argus which deployed in September and has been providing reassurance and aviation support to the people of Sierra Leone and the District Ebola Response Centre (DERC) in the town of Port Loko. British troops stationed in Port Loko have created a command and control structure which co-ordinates numerous stakeholders, enabling progress against the disease in the district. The Port Loko DERC is one of eight in Sierra Leone overseen by the National Ebola Response Centre (NERC).
The Economic Community of West African States Observation Mission that monitored Nigeria’s elections last Saturday has said the exercise was generally peaceful and transparent.
Former President Ernest Koroma of Sierra Leone, Leader of the ECOWAS delegation, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja.
Koroma noted that the voter turnout was low in most polling units visited but said the electorate mostly conducted themselves well throughout the voting process.
“Vote counting and tallying processes were carried out in a transparent, simple and professional manner, in the presence of party agents, observers, and security agents in the daytime in some polling units and with lamps in others, where voting was delayed,” he added.
While commending the Independent National Electoral Commission, for ensuring a hitch-free exercise, he, however, noted that there were pockets of violence in some states of the federation during the election.
The former President of Sierra Leone added, “Most polling officials and ad-hoc staff demonstrated inadequate knowledge of their duties, especially with voting materials.
“The set-up of most of the polling units visited did not adequately protect the secrecy of the voting process.”
The Mission called on INEC to ensure prompt transmission and declaration of the provisional results.
Leave a reply
The Editorial is a Platform for factual and precise news updates. Available to the readers 24/7 globally