Missing Data on Candidates from Sierra Leone’s Election Commission

It started with a tweet by American based CNN News Anchor Isha Sesay asking the National Elections Commission of Sierra Leone “Why haven’t the names of nominated candidates been released already? The elections are next week. What am I missing @NECsalone”

Why haven’t the names of nominated candidates been released already? The elections are next week. What am I missing @NECsalone https://t.co/ajxyZfCfa6

— Isha Sesay (@IshaSesayCNN) February 27, 2018

This was followed by an echo of the same by Open Elections Sierra Leone seeking the release of a list of nominated candidates for Parliamentary, Local council, Mayor, and District chairperson elections

@SierraDecides @IshaSesayCNN @cnni @ABC @BBCAfrica @BBGAfrica help the people of Sierra Leone ask @NECsalone to release the list of nominated candidates for parliamentary, local council, mayor and district chairperson elections? https://t.co/uftT3gpKco

— OpenElections SL (@OpenElectionssl) February 27, 2018

But to the surprise and shock of many, this was The Commission’s reaction to the ask that has left both the Salonese and the International community wondering what is to be done as crucial information on various candidates has not been provided yet by NEC. Notwithstanding less than 48 hours to go and the vital information has not yet been released to the public.

Few people in SL have access to the Internet and around half of adults are illiterate. For this reason, candidate lists are posted in public spaces throughout the country. Lists include photographs and emblems – the same way they will appear on ballot papers. @IshaSesayCNN pic.twitter.com/w4oicdrodK

— National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (@NECsalone) February 27, 2018

This tweet has caused an uproar amongst stakeholders of Open Data which led to the writing of an Open letter to the Commission by Tamba Sheku Lamin, CEO of LAM- Tech who are part of the Open Data Stakeholders running the Sierra Leone Open Elections Database that is meant to monitor and rebroadcast the results of the Elections as they are streamed by NEC.

Tamba notes “Acting as a group of signatories, under the Right to Access Information Act, 2013, LAM-TECH and a group of citizens preparing for elections results monitoring want to ask in the name of the people of Sierra Leone for our data. As you know, electoral laws indicate that no later than 15 days to the elections such material should be made available. With only nine days left to the elections of March 7, 2018, we are alarmed that you have not met your legislated mandate.”

Adding “We would like to take this opportunity to request the following information:(a) General Elections Candidate Lists for all nominated candidates (Parliamentary, Local Council, Mayoral, and Chairpersons), (b) A list of all polling stations and centers for the March 7, 2018, elections”

“We are also interested in a quick response and we want to assert the specific section of the Right to Access Information Act that speaks to the accelerated time limit for compliance. [w]here the information sought concerns the life or liberty of a person, section 2 shall be complied with within forty-eight hours of receipt of the application,” says Tamba.

It is yet to be seen if this information will be provided by the National Election Commission of Sierra Leone in the next few hours. All we can hope is for an Open and transparent Election that will be conducted peacefully as the people of Sierra Leone go to the polls on 7th March.