President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone has recently met with delegations from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) to discuss the country's preparedness for the upcoming multitier elections on June 24, 2023. The delegations were on a fact-finding mission and aimed to evaluate Sierra Leone's readiness for the elections. Commissioner Ambassador Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah, the leader of the delegation, expressed gratitude for the warm reception and highlighted the importance of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance in ensuring member states receive necessary assistance during elections. President Bio welcomed the delegations and shared his efforts to remove anti-democratic laws and barriers, such as sections of the 1965 Public Order Act that previously criminalized free speech and abolished the death penalty. He urged the election steering committee to discuss and agree on rules ahead of time to ensure a fair and transparent election process. The delegations will compile a report to be submitted to the President of the African Union for any required assistance.
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