March 9, 2018 By Regina Pratt
Members of the Situation Room addressed the press on Tuesday
The Elections Situation Room (ESR), managed by the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) and a consortium of civil society, state and non-state actors and the media, with support from USAID, is monitored the March 7 polls.
The Election Situation was setup to monitor, analyse, facilitate response to incidences which might threatened the peaceful conduct of the electoral process.
Michaela Mackay on Tuesday told the press at Radisson Blu hotel that a total of 75 personnel would be working at two ESRs in Freetown and Kono, with four operational sections comprising data gathering room, analysis room, decision room and communication room.
“The Central Coordinating Situation room is located at Radisson Blu in Freetown, while a Satellite Situation Room is located in Kono District,” she said, adding that the ESR was located in Kono as a result threats identified from the National Early Warning Systems (NEWS).
A release read by Valnora Edwin of Campaign for Good Governance on the election process states that the election was generally peaceful, although there were some reported cases of isolated incidences, including the late arrival of voting materials in certain areas and the absence and or insufficient security personnel in some polling centres.
She stated that a number of incidents bordering on voting procedures were not adhered to, coupled with inadequate information provided to voters.
Also speaking, Dr. Fatu Taqi highlighted certain concerns, including armed military personnel casting their ballot, inadequate voting materials at polling stations and allegations of campaign activities around polling stations.