Uncertainty continues to cover Sierra Leone ahead of the election run-off as different institutions give conflicting statements on whether the poll will be held or not.
The country’s leading opposition party, Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) in a statement has termed the injunction by the High Court on March 24 unconstitutional. The court upheld a request by a member of the ruling party for an injunction on Saturday to delay a presidential election run-off.
SLPP’s argument suggests that failure to hold the runoff on March 27 will contravene the constitutional provision which requires the National Electoral Commission (NEC) to hold an election run off within fourteen days of the announcement of the previous election.
The party has described the injunction as a ploy by the outgoing president Ernest Bai Koroma and the ruling party All People’s Congress (APC) party to illegally extend his tenure as president.
Sierra Leone’s civil society leaders have also expressed its concerns with the judiciary’s decision to halt the election just two days before the day.
They have, in a statement, resolved that the runoff election must be held on March 27 as scheduled.
The civil society statement referred to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report findings that stated that ‘lawyers and judges in Sierra Leone have failed to stand up to state tyranny’ adding that they expect the judiciary to correct its past, the africanews.com reports.
The NEC which had earlier said it would proceed with the preparations despite the court injunction has since changed its position stating that the commission would temporarily cease all logistical preparations for the run-off as they await the resolution of the matter before court on Monday.
Ibrahim Sorie Koroma, a lawyer linked to the ruling APC filed for the injunction on Thursday saying there was evidence of electoral fraud that needed to be investigated before the poll could go ahead.
In the ruling delivered by Justice A. R. Mansaray, the National Electoral Commission chairman and the body are required to withhold conducting the run off poll pending the hearing into the case which is set for Monday 26th March, barely 24 hours to the planned opening of polls.
