In a striking and hard-hitting revelation, the National Election Watch (NEW) has blown the whistle on the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), accusing the body of undermining the very foundation of democratic governance in the country.
During a live broadcast on Liberty Online TV on the morning of Friday, 22nd August 2025, the Coordinator of NEW, Reverend James Lahai, alongside Albert Massaquoi, Director of External Relations at ECSL, engaged in a heated discussion that shooked viewers across Sierra Leone and beyond.
Rev. Lahai, a seasoned civil society advocate, did not mince his words. He categorically stated that what ECSL did during the June 2023 general elections was unprecedented, shocking, and a dangerous deviation from established democratic norms. According to him, for the first time in Sierra Leone’s electoral history, ECSL deliberately denied election observers access to view and verify tallying results—a long-standing practice that had served as a cornerstone of electoral transparency and accountability in the past.
“This is the first time in Sierra Leone’s history that election observers were blocked from seeing the actual tallying of results,” Rev. Lahai emphasized. “ECSL must be reminded that they are a state institution, not a private entity. Their duty is to safeguard democracy, not to frustrate it. When you deny transparency, you deny the people their right to know, and that creates the recipe for instability in the country.”
Observers, both local and international, have long played a critical role in Sierra Leone’s democratic journey, helping to ensure fairness, credibility, and trust in election outcomes. By shutting them out, Rev. Lahai warned, ECSL risks eroding public confidence in the electoral system and fueling suspicion, division, and unrest.
The NEW Coordinator further highlighted that the will of the people must always prevail over institutional manipulation or political interference. “Elections are not for ECSL, elections are for the people. The sovereignty lies with the people. Any attempt to suppress that truth will push Sierra Leone into chaos. ECSL must open up its processes because democracy without transparency is dictatorship in disguise,” he cautioned.
This exposé has sparked a nationwide debate, with many Sierra Leoneans questioning ECSL’s credibility and calling for urgent reforms to restore confidence in the Commission ahead of the 2028 elections. Civil society groups, political parties, and ordinary citizens have since expressed deep concern, warning that the mistakes of 2023 must never be repeated.
As the country prepares for another critical electoral cycle, the revelations by NEW serve as a stark reminder that democracy thrives on openness, accountability, and the protection of citizens’ rights. ECSL, being the custodian of elections, is now under intense pressure to clean up its image, rebuild public trust, and ensure that never again will the people of Sierra Leone be left in the dark about their own votes.
In the words of Rev. Lahai: “The destiny of Sierra Leone is not in the hands of ECSL commissioners; it is in the hands of the people. Institutions must serve the people—not the other way around.
