Chairman of Sierra Leone’s Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC), Emmanuel Koivaya Amara, this week held discussions with the National Chairman of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Dr. Prince A. Harding, and the party’s National Secretary General, Umaru Napoleon Koroma, regarding the SLPP’s upcoming lower-level elections, set to commence on Saturday, 8th February 2025.
During the meeting, Chairman Amara underscored the importance of upholding democratic principles and ensuring that the electoral process adheres to the SLPP Constitution (11th August 2020), the party’s Rules and Regulations (5th February 2021), the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Act No. 6, 1991), the Political Parties Act (Act No. 25, 2022), and the Public Order Act (Act No. 46, 1965). He also requested relevant information to facilitate the Commission’s monitoring of the elections.
A key concern raised by the PPRC Chairman was the issuance and distribution of voter cards. Information received by the Commission suggested that certain party executives were withholding voter cards meant for eligible voters, while there were also reports of unauthorized printing of similar voter cards for use in the elections.
In response, SLPP National Secretary General Umaru Napoleon Koroma assured the Chairman that the National Executive Council (NEC), the party’s highest decision-making body, had issued resolutions on the electoral process in a notice dated 11th September 2024. He referenced Clause 3 of the party’s Rules and Regulations, which outlines the conduct of elections and the role of delegates.
Koroma further explained that the NEC had resolved that serialized voter cards, allocated by district, would be directly distributed to Section Executives. He clarified that party membership cards would not be used for voting; instead, the serialized voter cards would serve as the official voting documents. He assured the Commission that robust mechanisms had been put in place to prevent electoral fraud.
“It was agreed that at the time of issuing the serialized voter cards, the name, address and telephone number of the voter would be recorded with the serial number of the voter card in a ledger that would be the voters’ register. It was further agreed that every voter must be recognized in the form of national identification viz: voter ID, national ID, driver’s license or passport.”
SLPP National Chairman Dr. Prince Alex Harding expressed gratitude to the PPRC for its proactive engagement in ensuring a smooth and credible electoral process. He acknowledged the Commission’s role in preventing potential electoral irregularities and reaffirmed the party’s commitment to a transparent and democratic election.
