Attachments
Approximate date of impact General elections (presidential and parliamentary) were held in Sierra Leone in June 2023 as follows:
- 24 June: Presidential election voting
- 24 June up to the second week of July 2023: Proclamation of parliamentary representatives, following the Proportional Representation system. Following the National Society (NS) contingency planning, a period of up to two weeks was estimated for planning purposes. The Election calendar can be found here: https://ec.gov.sl/electoral-calendar/#
Provide any updates in the situation since the field report and explain what is expected to happen.
General elections were scheduled to take place in Sierra Leone from June to July 2023, as per the calendar issued by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL). The election included a Presidential election and a Parliamentary process across the country. In 2022, the Election campaign began and ended in May 2023. There were indications of potential social or civil unrest during the election period, which meant that the National Society needed to be prepared to support communities that may have been affected. The elections were held according to schedule.
• 24 June 2023 Presidential voting took place in 16 districts of the country.
• 25 - 28 June 2023, were the proclamation of the results of the presidential election. These were estimated dates based on historical process, which usually takes up to 4 days.
• In early 2023, the Proportional Representative system was established following the proclamation of Parliamentary representatives. The dates for the start and end of the system were not specified, but all election processes were to be completed between June and July. A two-week period was estimated for planning purposes as a part of the NS contingency planning.
Regarding the 2023 General Elections period, incidences of inter-communal conflict were observed in many parts of the country. Indeed, those elections were held against the backdrop of a severe complex economic crisis and periods of civil unrest surrounding governance issues. In the period leading to the election, the country witnessed civil unrest, economic instability, currency devaluation, and multiple disasters, especially in the country's capital city, Freetown. The widespread protest of August 2022 was a violent example of turmoil in Freetown and other cities in Sierra Leone. Thousands of protesters mobilized around the country, blocking roads and main supply routes, demonstrating against unemployment, economic hardship, and injustices, demanding reductions in fuel prices, economic relief for indebted families, fair prices for agricultural products, employment and labour rights, security, and protection. Over 34 people were injured, 30 deaths (including three police officers), and many detained in different parts of the country. These events were analyzed to reflect what could happen during the general elections.