-Says CCSL President
March 15, 2018 By Elizabeth A. Kaine
Bishop John K. Yambasu CCSL President
President of the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone, Bishop John K. Yambasu, has told Concord Times in an exclusive interview on Tuesday that the percentage of void votes in the just concluded elections was alarming and that political leaders should focus on voter education instead of rallies.
According to the result announced by the National Electoral Commission, invalid votes accounted for 139,427, which the bishop said should be of great concern to political party leaders.
Bishop Yambasu stated that political leaders should have first embarked on voters’ education for their supporters, especially those in the provinces.
“So many people who voted did not have the knowledge of voting, even though there were some that have voted more than two times but yet they need to be educated on voting,” he said.
Also, he said the transfer of polling centres to new locations in the provinces added salt to injury, as some voters lacked knowledge as to where to vote.
He said the issues caused lot of confusion and frustration in the earlier hours of voting, stating that if voters were taught how to vote the number of invalid votes would have been lower.
“Be you SLPP, APC or any other political parties, you should come out in your numbers to teach the people of Sierra Leone on how to vote, so the number of void votes would be decreased in the country,” he admonished.
He also stated that party agents, NEC officials and observers demonstrated an attitude of understanding towards one and other, which according to him helped the process to be ‘free, fair and credible.’
Bishop Yambasu noted that the CCSL can only asserted that the voting process was transparent, free and fair, and that NEC and the people of Sierra Leone should be congratulated and commended for a successful polling exercise.