Since the end of the
civil war in Sierra Leone in 2002, the country has held five presidential
elections and all of these elections have consistently been declared free, fair
and peaceful. However, it has not always been plain-sailing as the process sometimes
experiences some setbacks in ensuring a completely safe and just expression of
democracy.
The government, Electoral
Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) and other involved organizations often
implement physical and practical structures such as extra security and
campaigns. But, with the growth of technology these organization have utilized
some tools to offset any issues identified in previous elections to ensure a
credible 2023 election.
Misinformation and Fake
News
The Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) has been steadfastly working to ensure the spread of misinformation is restricted and that citizens are well informed. They do this by firstly, providing varying means for citizens to contact them through their website (including leaving a voice-message on the website through a voice option).
There is also a link to iVerify, a fact checking initiative implemented by the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) and the Independent Radio Network with support from BBC Media Action and United Nations Development Programme.
The ECSL website uses AI and human intervention to verify and provide a verdict on whether rumors/news that is being shared is either true, false, unproven or misleading. A quick scan through the website reveals the user-friendly and simple structure making it easy for people to use and understand.
Gender Based Violence
In May 2023 the Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs (MGCA) launched a Gender Based ViolenceInformation Management System to respond to increased risks against women and girls in this month’s election. The cloud software will assist Gender Based Violence service providers to securely receive, organize and share case information through a systemically monitored electronic process. The software will also help service providers send electronic referrals and remotely supervise each other. 7 laptops, 20 computers and 16 motorbikes have also been donated by the UNICEF Representative to the MGCA to undertake this activity.
Access to Information
It can be difficult to
access the right information about the elections given the deluge of
information on the internet and that which includes propaganda spread by
political parties. Therefore, the Institute for Governance Reform has launched
an app which focusses on ensuring people are well-informed for the upcoming
elections. The app features a ‘Bio-Meter’, which has assessed 496 out of the
536 previous campaign promises of President Bio (current leader of Sierra
Leone). The app sources information from the Electoral Commission and other
formal election institutions to provide details on the political parties and
citizen manifestos, electoral system and new proportional representation
system. It also explains how citizens can cast votes, the names of districts
and the number of polling stations.
After going through the app, AEP can conclude that it is an inspiring initiative which appears to be easy to navigate. It also hosts an election quiz as a fun way to test one’s knowledge and does provide several opportunities to learn about different aspects of the elections. However, it is still a work in progress as some pages such as the ‘Nominated Candidates’ are still labeled “coming soon”.
Only 7 parties
out of the 17 currently have some information on the app, and it is very text
heavy. Furthermore, the Chat box is not efficient, as it was unable to answer
questions about why only 7 parties were described and how one can vote in the
upcoming election.
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