The Ghanaian Journal

A 60-member mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is in Sierra Leone to monitor that country’s general elections, which will take place on Saturday, August 11, a statement by the sub-regional body said on Wednesday.

The mission, headed by General Seth Obeng of Ghana, includes representatives of the ECOWAS Parliament, its Court of Justice, civil society electoral experts, as well as representatives of Ambassadors accredited to Nigeria.

According to the statement, the elections in Sierra Leone are particularly significant for ECOWAS because they were being organized for the first time by the people towards the peaceful and credible transfer of power, after the protracted civil war in the country.

“In addition, they are critical for consolidating the gains made in ECOWAS Member States over the last decade in the areas of peace, stability and good governance,” the statement said, adding that success of the elections will be a critical determinant of the country’s maturity in democratic principles and of its sincerity towards national rebirth and reconciliation.

Since its arrival, the mission exchanged views with the Sierra Leone National Electoral Commission, governmental officials, security agencies, diplomatic missions and civil society organizations.

The statement said members of the delegation would be deployed to all the country’s four regions and 12 districts, in addition to West and Rural Freetown.

In June this year, ECOWAS dispatched a fact-finding mission to the country to interact with key stakeholders with a view to assessing the state of preparedness for the elections.

The statement said following that mission, ECOWAS had delivered 40 vehicles to the National Electoral Commission to assist in the preparatory work.

Recently, ECOWAS had observed elections in Cape Verde, Benin, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo and Liberia.