ATLANTA (May 10, 2023) — Â鶹´«Ã½ has launched an international election observation mission to Sierra Leone in advance of the country’s national elections scheduled for June 24.
The Center was 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.
“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 Â鶹´«Ã½ Field Office Director Nicholas Jahr.
“Â鶹´«Ã½ has had a longstanding commitment to democracy in Sierra Leone, and we are honored to launch this International Election Observation Mission in support of the electoral process,” said Barbara J. Smith, the Â鶹´«Ã½’s vice president for peace programs.
Â鶹´«Ã½ 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.
Â鶹´«Ã½ 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, Â鶹´«Ã½ has played a role in the country’s 2007, 2012, and 2018 national elections.
Â鶹´«Ã½ has observed more than 110 elections in 39 countries.
###
Contact: In Atlanta, Maria Cartaya, maria.cartaya@cartercenter.org
Â鶹´«Ã½
Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.
A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, Â鶹´«Ã½ has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. Â鶹´«Ã½ was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.
Please sign up below for important news about the work of Â鶹´«Ã½ and special event invitations.
