ECSL Reviews Progress as Inclusion Reforms Take Centre Stage

By Millicent Senava Mannah

The Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), development partners, and civil society stakeholders have intensified discussions on strengthening inclusion across the country’s electoral processes, with renewed calls for enforceable measures that protect the participation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities.

At a stakeholder engagement held in Freetown, participants reviewed progress made since the 2023 elections and examined the draft comprehensive Inclusion Policy now under development with support from International IDEA and funding from the European Union.

ECSL officials highlighted that the Commission has been working beyond policy formulation, establishing structures and engaging stakeholder groups nationwide. They noted that during the 2023 elections, ECSL enforced legal provisions requiring female representation in nomination lists and provided accessibility support for persons with disabilities at hard-to-reach polling centres. These efforts, they said, contributed to the increase in women’s political participation.

International IDEA commended ECSL for consolidating its gender, youth, and disability frameworks into a single Inclusion Policy. The organisation added that this unified approach would help streamline the Commission’s operations while ensuring that no group is left behind. Professor Freddie Mbokomoke has been engaged to support the harmonisation and strengthening of the policy components.

A disability rights advocate during the event stressed that inclusion must be backed by measurable commitments. He emphasised that disability inclusion is “not an act of charity but an act of justice,” and called for ECSL to adopt clear quotas, including at least 10% representation of persons with disabilities among its permanent staff. His remarks drew strong support from participants, many of whom agreed that electoral integrity depends on equal access for all citizens.

Chairman of the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC), Emmanuel K. Amara, drew attention to Part IX, Sections 41–43 of the Political Parties Act, 2022, which mandate that political parties ensure meaningful participation of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised groups. He reiterated that inclusion is a statutory obligation and essential to strengthening Sierra Leone’s democratic processes.

Commissioner Zainab Umu Moseray acknowledged the consistent engagement of partners and participants and noted that the feedback received will guide the next phase of the reform process. She underscored that the Inclusion Policy forms part of ECSL’s broader institutional strengthening efforts, and that the Commission is already taking steps to integrate its key recommendations.

As the engagement concluded, stakeholders expressed optimism that the collaboration among ECSL, development partners, and civil society will accelerate the implementation of reforms needed to make future elections more accessible, equitable, and representative of all Sierra Leoneans.