Nfa Allie Conteh and the National Elections Commission ( NEC) should fight to regain lost integrity and the people’s confidence

By KABS KANU :

From all the screaming headlines in Sierra Leone’s print and online newspapers , the comments of concerned Sierra Leoneans on social media and all the opinions being expressed on the various radio stations in the country, Sierra Leoneans seem to have little confidence in the Chief Electoral Commissioner , Mr. Nfa Allie Conteh and the National Elections Commission ( NEC ) as the nation goes into the most tension-packed and the biggest runoff ever in the history of the country.

Members of the two political parties going into the runoffs, the ruling All People’s Congress ( APC )  and the Sierra Leone People’s Party ( SLPP ) s well as the third force parties, the National Grand Coalition ( NGC ) and the Coalition For Change ( C4C)  all have expressed reservations about Mr. Nfa Allie Conteh and the NEC.

A day after the results were announced, the flagbearer of the SLPP , Maada Bio, complained in an interview conducted by the SIERRA NETWORK  that though they have  accepted the result, they have issues and concerns which are being complied by them and they are planning to present them to NEC, which they will make public.

The APC Presidential candidate, Dr. Samura Kamara, in talking to RADIO DEMOCRACY ,  complained about irregularities and malpractices, especially the high number of voided votes which did not augur well for the country’s democracy. He is urging NEC to put together measures to avoid a recurrence in the runoff.

Dr. Kandeh Yumkella of the National Grand Coalition ( NGC )  complained about what he described as significant irregularities , which he wants to be addressed before they become institutionalized.

Alhaji Sam Sumana of the Coalition for Change ( C4C) said his party expected free, fair and credible elections but he complained there were a lot of anomalies that NEC failed to address and which they are planning to take to court in good time.

The APC Warrior Communications Network said that “Our investigations reveal that apart from Miatta French and a handful of other patriotic and nationalistic and neutral Sierra Leoneans assiduously working at NEC, Mohamed N’fa Alie Conteh and about 70% of staff at NEC are in cahoots to rig the run-off election in favor of Maada Bio and the SLPP. This alarming development has resulted in extra vigilance of APC supporters to smell and investigate any suspicious movement and any suspicious individual. Reports are now coming in from our very reliable informants and investigators that what actually took place in many polling stations across the country was in fact ballot-stuffing done by SLPP members disguised as NEC polling staff with active connivance of NEC officials that were actually SLPP members pretending to be genuine NEC staff. Of course this is now a matter of investigation and when it is proved that this was the case, we shall institute legal proceedings against all those who connived with SLPP, Mohamed N’fa Alie Conteh and 70% of NEC staff to rig the March 7 elections.”  END OF QUOTE

 

NFA ALLIE CONTEH : HE HAS BUNGLED THE WHOLE ELECTIONS 

An NGC supporter , Peter Kallon, echoed the standpoint of his party on the past elections :

“It is unarguable that, before, during and after polling on the March 7th inconclusive elections, several electoral infringements occurred. The use of falsified RRF forms, the creation of fake constituencies like 222 and 888, the systematic engagement of out rightly partisan operatives to work for NEC, the leakage of sensitive information, the collusion with people and entities on data and the projection of the results by persons not in conduct of the election, are all serious offences under the Public Elections Act and the Forgery Act. The offences also include ballot papers falling into the wrong hands, wrongful voting, improper practices by electoral officers such as falsification of results of election, infringement of confidentiality, false statements, interference with elections materials, disorderly conduct at polling stations, voting by unregistered persons.

Kallon said that “On Election Day, there have been evidence of unauthorised access to computer material and unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences. Also, there have been more general offences of forgery and altering of documents specifically under sections 2, 3 and 6 of the Forgery Act 1913. These make the conduct of some (not all) NEC officials with their cohorts criminally punishable when convicted. The question from ordinary Sierra Leoneans is where have the so – called ‘moral guarantors’ of our democracy gone in the midst of blatant violation of the election and other related laws? So far, no civil society organisation has said a word with regards the blatant violations.Suffice it to say that this has been a grand criminal enterprise orchestrated by actors within NEC and some so – called CSOs to actualise a long laid out plan to steal the will of the people through an electoral coup. But let it be known that in this case, the coupists will face the full force of the law.”

The whole internet is awash with stories of NEC officials arrested for elections malpractices , uncounted ballot boxes found in strange locations after the results were announced .Over 400 sealed election boxes  were found in waterloo, the stronghold of the APC. Additionally, according to reports by residents, over a hundred ballot boxes were also found at Ogu Farm , another APC  stronghold, where they had been hidden.

THIS VIDEO BELOW TELLS A SHAMEFUL STORY OF GROSS INCOMPETENCE BY NEC . HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN UNDER THE WATCH OF AN EFFICIENT ELECTIONS COMMISSION ?

This is yet another huge consignment of ballot boxes found in unusual locations after the elections result. Why were these boxes being hidden so that they would not be counted ?

 

The Chief Elections Commissioner, Mr. Nfa Allie Conteh, has definitely lost the INTEGRITY CONTEST. The whole elections have been bungled by NEC.

Something has to be done to win back the integrity of the Commissioner and NEC.