In July 2024, the Cross-Party Committee on Electoral Systems and Management Bodies Review or ‘Tripartite Committee’ produced its report. Sierra Leone held its multi-tier elections on the 24th of June 2023. The Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL), on the 27th of June 2023, declared H.E President Julius Maada Bio as the winner of the presidential race, securing 56.1% of the popular vote. According to the report, the period between voting and the announcement of election results was marred by escalating tensions. Statements made by some Partners and Election Observer Missions called into question the integrity and credibility of results before ECSL announced them. The report pointed out that the factors created a post-election environment marred with mistrust, heightening tensions between the ruling party and the opposition. That announcement ended in a controversy, with the APC rejecting the announced results.
The report pointed out that the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC) initiated actions to settle the ‘political impasse’ of APC nonparticipation in governance. The ICPNC succeeded in getting the endorsement of the United Nations, Commonwealth, the African Union, and the ECOWAS, to support a mediated dialogue. On Wednesday, 18th October 2023, the ‘National Unity Agreement’’ was signed between the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) and the All Peoples Congress (APC) party, and it was agreed thus ‘’Constitution of a Cross-party Committee on Electoral Systems and Management Bodies Review with a three-way Leadership.’ In July 2024, the Committee produced a report containing findings and recommendations for Electoral Management, Institutional Reform and Legal Reforms.
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