NaCCED ORGANIZES A NATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS DIALOGUE ON THE PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION SYSTEM: PEACE AND RECONCILIATION.
The National Council for Civic Education and Democracy on Monday 19th June, 2023 organized a national stakeholders dialogue session on the Proportional Representation System: Peace and Reconciliation dialogue ahead of the June 24th election. The dialogue session was hosted at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown through the collaborative efforts of National Council for Civic Education and Democracy, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IIDEA), and National Commission for Democracy (NCD) Democracy (NaCCED), as part of the “Sierra Leone Democracy Strengthening” project supported by the European Union. The theme was: Understanding the Proportional Representation System for Peaceful Elections.
The opening session was moderated by Madam Hilary John, Western Arear Regional Coordinator for NaCCED. The Head of Programme at IDEA- Dr. Idrissa Tarawalie in his opening statement highlighted the importance for two state institutions with the mandate to promote civic education and democracy that is NCD and NaCCED being involved in the organization of the dialogue session. He stated that it is a show of collaboration on state concerns with the presence of the Chairman of the PPRC, Chief of Staff of ONS and representative of ECSL. Dr. Tarawalie described the engagement “an opportunity for stakeholders to throw light on how these state institutions are prepared for the June 24 elections and answer fundamental questions about the forth coming elections.” He informed the audience that “Democracy is not only about elections and praised the work of NCD and NaCCED in developing democratic culture, education in civic culture and participation fully in democratic processes.” Dr. Tarawalie reiterated that IDEA is happy to be associated with the process and bring both NCD and NaCCED to be part of the process. “Democracy has to be guided and protected; that’s the work of IDEA”, he said. He concluded with optimism on the future of Sierra Leone and urged participants to work towards saving the soul of Sierra Leone, while challenging them to ask themselves to what extent they were going to contribute to peaceful elections.
The European Union Elections Focal person Mr. Eurico Borsi, recalled that the EU has funded a series of meetings to ensure a peaceful election. He praised the initiative of NCD and NaCCED by giving participants the opportunity to know how Proportional Representation works. He also emphasized that participation in democracy needs understanding of the mechanics in which democracy is implemented.
The Chairman for the National Commission for Civic Education and Democracy (NaCCED), Mr. Kalilu Totangi in his opening remark stated that the dialogue session is organized as a result of the Youth Political Participation survey conducted by the Institute for Governance Reform (IGR) which revealed that only 41% of youths know how the PR System works. He stated that the survey also revealed low youth participation in politics and violence tendencies eminent during elections amongst. “This reality prompted NaCCED to launch a campaign with support from EU and IDEA to address this concern” he said. In that light, the Chairman revealed that his Institution has trained over 3,000 young people nationwide on vote, peace and electoral education. Mr. Totangi informed the gathering that NaCCED has put together three set of animations focusing on 1. Voting- aimed at reducing number of void votes, 2. Issues around violence, and the 3. The PR system. He intimated that the animations were geared towards education and the need for participation and non-violence.
A representative from the National Commission for Democracy (NCD) expressed gratitude on behalf of his institution for being part of the session. He praised the synergy between NCD and NaCCED as partners in development and articulate democratic tenets. NCD perspective of the PR System was highlighted, which he stated included “engagements, political tolerance and that Peace is a prerequisite for any election.”
The Chairperson for the Independent Commission for Peace, Reconciliation and National Cohesion (ICPRNC) Madam Hawa Samai, thanked the organizers and sponsors, as well as urged all stakeholders to work collectively to ensure that unified message of peaceful election is being presented for public consumption. She stated that her commission has trained Peace Mediators who are assigned in each district so as to get information in real time and submit to their Peace Situation Room for response in real time. She also urged representatives of political parties to preach peace during their political campaigns. She pointed out that working with both traditional media and new media, creating an open space for peace, engaging political parties, and urging state and non-state actors to maintain peace are critical in the effort to strengthen our democracy. She therefore called on the audience to use their capacities to promote peace and love for Sierra Leone, and reminded them that “elections will be over but Sierra Leone will still remain.” She advised the participants to use the Judiciary for redress, and concluded that “tribalism should be pushed aside and let love and oneness prevails.”
The National Security Coordinator, Mr. Abdulai Caulker in his statement, appealed for peaceful co-existence, and the need for a political landscape that is free of fear and apprehension, urging that the conduct of the June 24th elections should not be different from previous elections. He noted that fundamental elements of election should be maintained, which should be demonstrated in the promotion of peace and security.
The Chairman for the Political Parties Registration Commission Mr. Abdulai Bangura, said that the role of his institution is to serve as a referee dealing with politics and politicians. “Peace is not about a particular person or institution”, he added. According to Mr. Bangura, “the PPRC views sensitizing the public about peace as a crucial ingredient and that peace has to come from within.” He explained about the right to assemble and associate but stated that these rights have their own limits and when these limits are exceeded the law will take its course. The PPRC Chairman stated that his Commission has been commended for the decision taken regarding the ban on street campaigning. He said even though politicians do not like to be examined, his institution gives opportunity to citizens to examine their politicians. He expressed concern over what he described as “a toxic political landscape which is caused by politicians”. He urged stakeholders to encourage political parties to make a commitment that could allow all Parties to campaign freely in their localities. The PPRC Chairman informed the audience that the EU has consented to provide funds for their Peace March on the streets of Freetown schedule to take place on the 22nd and 23rd June 2023.
A representative from the Election Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL), emphasized the determination of his institution to conduct the June elections in peace, and in a free, fair and transparent manner. He stated that valid votes will be translated into number of seats in parliament and that they will continue with voter education. The ECSL representative further gave a short explanation about the PR System, stating that 30% of female representation has been honored by political parties. He told participants that all concerns of political parties have been addressed including published voter data, polling station levels and voter registration data.
The dialogue was followed by panel discussion involving panelists from various civil society organizations, government institutions, political parties, EU, and IDEA.
