as leader of a team of observers to Sierra Leone’s presidential
run-off polls scheduled to take place on 27th March, 2018.
Dr. Jonathan who is leading the Election Observation Mission of the
Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) is
carrying out the assignment in support of the effort for a peaceful
and transparent election in Sierra Leone.
A statement by the ex-President’s spokesman Mr. Ikechukwu Eze said Dr.
Jonathan also led EISA to the first round of the elections on 7 March,
2018, in which none of the candidates polled 55% of votes required to
win a first round ballot.
It will be recalled that after observing the first round of the
elections, Jonathan-led EISA had declared the process peaceful and
credible, adding that they were “conducted substantially in line with
sub-regional, continental and international standards.” In its interim
report presented to the media on 9th March, EISA 2018 also observed
that voter turnout was impressive while the conduct of polling
personnel was professional. Jonathan who presented the report also
appealed to the people of Sierra Leone and all stakeholders to remain
calm until the final electoral processes were concluded.
The report said: “The EISA Election Observation Mission commends the
people of Sierra Leone for turning out in large numbers to register
their will on 7 March 2018. In the absence of an incumbent in the
presidential race, the presidential election seems to be one of the
most keenly contested in the post-civil war period.
“The EISA EOM notes the efforts of the different institutions to
guarantee the integrity of the elections. On election day, voter
turnout was impressive and the conduct of polling personnel was
professional. There were technical glitches that necessitated the
postponement of elections in 18 polling stations. Election day
proceeded in a largely peaceful manner albeit with isolated incidents
that were immediately addressed.
“The EISA EOM is of the view that the process up until the end of the
first day of tallying has so far been conducted substantially in line
with sub-regional, continental and international standards although
there is room for improvement especially in the legal framework to
further level the playing field.
Other observer groups which returned similar verdicts in their earlier
presentations included Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS), African Union (AU), The Commonwealth, Electoral Institute
for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), European Union (EU), and
The Carter Center (TCC).
In the run-off election slated for Tuesday 27th March Samura Kamara,
the candidate of the party of the outgoing President Ernest Bai
Koroma’s, All People’s Congress (APC) will face off against Julius
Maada Bio of the Sierra Leone People’s party (SLPP), who lost to
Koroma in 2012.
Bio clinched 43.3 percent of votes to Kamara’s 42.7 percent in the
first round of voting in an election contested by 16 Presidential
candidates.
