ELECTION OBSERVATIONS

November 17, 2012

Thursday morning, the 15th, Michaela and I attended a meeting at the ONS office along with the other local organizations who attended Monday’s meeting.  In addition, the European Union Observers were there.  This is a team of professional observers that travel around Africa observing political practices, levels of corruption and elections.  Some are long term observers and some short term.  They are from Poland, Slovenia, Check Republic, and Sweden and have their fingers on the pulse of what is really going on.

Chernoir, me, Kathy,Abdulai, Sumaila Team 8

Team 8 from the US Embassy arrived on Thursday evening.   After getting settled in Kathy, the Gender Advisor, Mohamed and I took the walk into town to get roasted goat for everyone.  Abdulai with US Aid at the embassy, had arranged for dinner to be brought to us from a local woman named Jen.  She brought local rice, so much tastier than imported, and a sauce made with potato leaves.  Between the two we had a delicious feast!

As we spoke with Jen we discovered she is the sister of Zainab, the district Peace Mothers coordinator for Fambul Tok!  I guess I should not be surprised since it seems that all the people of Sierra Leone are related in some way.

Chernoir, the embassy driver, provided several meals from local women also.  Between Abdulai and him we were well fed for lunches and dinners.  I got to taste ground nut soup and beef soup, both delicious.

I am fortunate that the team from the embassy can accommodate me so I can stay to observe the elections.  Michaela returned to Freetown on Thursday and without embassy transportation I would have had to go with her.  The car is a new Toyota Land Cruiser and is very cushy.  In the back are boxes of MREs (meals ready to eat). water, and a refrigerator.  They have a waiver for me to sign saying the US government is not responsible for any injury or death happening to me while riding in their vehicle.  There is a emergency evacuation plan that takes us into Guinea (is that safer????) in case of wide spread violence.  They are prepared for any contingency.

Friday, the day before the elections, we drove to several of the villages we are to visit tomorrow.  Abdulai put together a proposed plan of 7 villages and we tested the amount of time to drive there, etc.  One nine mile drive took us 50 minutes one way over very bad roads! We also wanted to see if the supplies were arriving on time.  Before leaving for the villages we met with the police, ONS, and NEC (National Election Center) directors.  Team 8 had not met them and wanted to introduce themselves and get their perspective.  We were scheduled to meet with the EU observers later in the afternoon.  One of the longterm observers had given me her card at Thursday’s meeting and I passed it on to Kathy so she could set up the meeting.  We felt it was important to find out their schedule so we aren’t all observing in one place at the same time.  There was no central coordination of the many observers sent by various organizations.

Women's Peace Prayer & Fasting Group

Before setting off to visit the villages Kathy and I wanted to stop by one of the Mosques where women were spending the late morning and part of the afternoon fasting and praying for peace.  The women’s prayer and fasting movement started at the Catholic Church in the early morning, moving to the Mosque in late morning to finish.  At 1:30PM as we approached the Mosque we spied a group of women walking up the road.  We are too late!  They are done.  I recognize Zainab in the group and we stop to chat.

Later that afternoon we learn from the EU Observers that there is still some level of coercion going on by both major parties.  Use of state funds, bribery, etc. are suspected, but hard to prove.  They are staying where some of the major players in one of the major parties is staying and have observed some suspicious behavior.  But hey, American politics isn’t all purity and above board either.  I doubt any government in the world is completely corruption free.

6:30AM Waiting For Polls To Open 

This morning, election day, dawns misty and cool.  We are due at the RC (Roman Catholic) Elementary School, our place of beginning, at 6:30 to observe the opening.  The polls open at 7AM and the lines are already long and the school yard full of people when we arrive. At this center there are 7 polling stations.  Depending on the size of the area and the center serving it, the number of stations vary from center to center. The objective is to have no more than 300 people processed at each station.

Checking ID Card At Entrance To Polling Center

At 8:30 we set off for our next stop and spend the day going from village to village. Everywhere is peaceful and the people patient.  Well, for the most part.  Some are frustrated because the system in place that assigns them to the correct line for voting is faulty.  In the beginning the number on their ID cards is used to sort them into voting lines.  It becomes apparent early on that this isn’t working.  The people get to their assigned lines only to find their name wasn’t on that list but on one in another station.  This means going to another line and cutting in front of others so they don’t have to go to the back of the new line.  Until those in the new line understand what was happening there is yelling and some level of anger.  The check lists are arranged in alphabetical order by last name.  Once they change the system to alphabetical by last name, like the lists, all comes to order.

Belly To Back In Line

The day goes by with only technical issues, no violence, no fighting, all is peaceful and calm.  It amazes me how close people stand to each other in line.  Belly to back.  The mix of women to men appears to be equal.  This is fantastic because in the past two elections women were harassed, sometimes severely, at the polls.  We see no such activities this time.

The paper voting system is labor intensive, but necessary since most of the country is not able to report electronically.  Even in Freetown where such systems exist, they are not plentiful.  By the time we return to the polling center where we started this morning to watch the closing process, it is about 4:40PM.  The polls close sharply at 5PM.  At 7:45PM the counting and sorting are still in progress - with candlelight, flashlights, cell phone lights.  There is not a generator at the school so no electricity!  

It will take about 10 days for the official results to be announced.  The boxes containing the ballots and official results from some of the very remote areas will not be picked up for up to 3 days.  Preliminary results begin to be announced on the radio immediately that evening.  It is apparent even early on that the lessor parties (there are 10 parties all together, 8 lessor and 2 major) have received almost no votes.  This is means the 2 major parties are getting the votes.

In the past two elections there has been a runoff vote.  It requires a 55% popular vote majority to declare a winner.  With 10 parties getting votes this has not happened in the past during the first go around.  This time, however, with the miniscule number of votes going to the minor 8, a runoff may be avoided.  This is good because the peace that stands now can continue.  A runoff causes high tension and the potential for unrest is even greater then during the initial election.

The people of Sierra Leone deserve huge accolades for holding the peace.  Big smiles grace the faces of the people who stop me to ask what I thought of the election.  They know I was Up Country and want to hear my story.  When I congratulate them and say the people of Salone should be very proud of their accomplishment of a peaceful election, they just beam. They know the world is watching and a peaceful Sierra Leone will bring in the foreign investors so vital for their growth.

Of the 3.2 million eligible voters 2.7 million registered!  Early results indicate an 80 to 85% of those registered turned out to vote!  Wow!  We should get that kind of interest in the US. Our public is too complacent.

Tomorrow I make the journey back to Freetown where I will stay for a few days until time to go back Up Country.  This time we will be sensitizing the people for a peaceful runoff, just in case.  The Peace Mothers’ Grandmother is ready to dance!

Much Love to You All,

Mom/Grandma/Sara