For the sake of transparency and certainty, the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) should promptly publish disaggregated results data at polling station level to enable the public to scrutinize it, the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) has said.
Over 24 hours after the ECSL declared incumbent President Julius Maada Bio as winner of the presidential race, tension continues to mounts as the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) rejected the results.
The opposition cited lack of transparency in the tallying process of results, among other concerns.
Several international observation missions, notably the EU EOM, have been vocal about the lack of transparency in the process as well.
After the announcement of the presidential results, the focus has shifted to the parliamentary and local council elections.
But the EUEOM believes that the electoral commission can still do something so that those who have doubts about the authenticity of the outcome of the presidential race can be reassured.
“To defuse tensions, the EU EOM calls on the ECSL to promptly publish disaggregated results data per polling station, including a copy of results forms, which would provide for a possibility of public scrutiny of results and ensure transparency and certainty,” it said in a statement released on Wednesday, June 28. It is the second press statement issued by the Mission following the release of its preliminary statement on Tuesday, June 27, in which it lamented the lack of transparency in the results tabulation process.
The EUEOM said that its observers could not meaningfully observe verification of the result forms for the presidential election, and that the number and type of corrections and cancellations of polling station results was neither released nor shared with party agents and citizen observers.
“The lack of publication of disaggregated results data at the polling station level has compromised the transparency of the results management process” it said.
The Mission also cited statistical inconsistencies between the first and second batch of presidential results published by the ECSL, including discrepancies in the number of average valid votes per polling station, ranging from a decrease of 75 per cent in Karene District to an increase of 31 per cent in Kono District.
“The results also show a particularly low number of invalid ballots of 0.4 per cent nationwide, as well as very high turnout in at least three districts exceeding 95 per cent, and in a further two districts exceeding 90 per cent,” it said.
According to the EU EOM, statistical inconsistencies were also noted by “credible and impartial” citizen observers.
The statement goes on to urge all stakeholders to address their grievances arising from the electoral process peacefully, through dialogue and by using the prescribed legal mechanisms.
The EU EOM is one of 1000 international observation missions accredited by the ECSL in the June 24 general elections. It has one of the largest groups of observers – over 100 – deployed across the country.
The mission said it intends to continue to observe tabulation of results and post-election developments.
Its final report, including recommendations for improving the electoral framework of the country, is expected to be published in the next few months.
