The Carter Center has launched an international election observation mission to Sierra Leone in advance of the country’s national elections scheduled for June 24.
In a statement released on 10th May 2013 by the organization stated that the Centre has been invited to observe this year’s elections by the Election Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL).
A four-person core team of experts has arrived in Freetown from the United States, Poland, Kenya, and the United Kingdom. Additional electoral experts and medium-term observers from around the world will join them in advance of the campaign period, followed by short-term observers and high-level leadership around election day, the release noted.
“We look forward to engaging with Sierra Leonean stakeholders across the political spectrum and providing an independent and impartial assessment of the electoral process. We hope that our observation and reporting will provide important information to Sierra Leonean citizens, key recommendations to stakeholders, and help uphold transparency for the remainder of the electoral process,” said Carter Center Field Office Director Nicholas Jahr.
Its further stated that “The Carter Center has had a longstanding commitment to democracy in Sierra Leone, and we are honoured to launch this International Election Observation Mission in support of the electoral process,” said Barbara J. Smith, the Carter Centre’s vice president for peace programs.
The Carter Center conducts election observation work in accordance with the 2005 Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and makes assessments based on relevant parts of national legal frameworks as well as regional and international obligations for democratic elections.
The Carter Center has been a force for peace in Sierra Leone since 2002, when it observed the first presidential and parliamentary elections following the end of Sierra Leone’s devastating civil war. Since then, The Carter Center has played a role in the country’s 2007, 2012, and 2018 national elections.
The Carter Center has observed more than 110 elections in 39 countries.