BALLOT News X Issue No. 2 From page 19 ZESN officials noted that public debates and forums were done by the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists [SLAJ]. This gave citizens an opportunity to hear political parties' policies and manifestos in order to vote from an informed position. According to the NDI preliminary report, “NEC regularly and effectively communicated information about the process to voters, political parties and the over 37 000 polling staff” it had. NEC also established a permanent two-way dialogue with political parties through the Political Parties Liason Committee (PPLC) to inform them of the process and incorporate their feedback. For instance, the NEC made an important change to the electoral procedures the week before the polls in response to concerns raised by political parties during a PPLC meeting. Individuals with voter registration cards (VRCs) but whose names did not appear on the final voters' register were not allowed to vote, contrary to what was previously written in the NEC training manual for polling staff. In addition, NEC made a provision that voters who lost their voting cards but their names still appeared on the register could get a certificate two weeks before polling day to enable them to cast their vote on election day. NEC also pressured parliament for reforms and urgent positive changes to the Electoral Laws Act were passed in June 2007. Parliament established the Elections Offences Court, a subdivision of the High Court with jurisdiction over electoral offences of criminal nature. This innovation built confidence among stakeholders in that there were legal processes to address issues of an electoral nature. The Election Petitions Court, was also established under the Elections Laws Act. It provided mechanisms essential for the hearing of electoral civil offences such as disputed results. These two courts provide political parties a legal process to resolve their disputes without resorting to violence, or taking the law into their own hands. X September 2007 The timetable for petitions was also improved with the introduction of a new set of provisions stipulating that petitions must be submitted within seven days of the official announcement of results and should be concluded within four months. NEC also ensured the whole voting process was people oriented as special treatment was accorded to groups of people with special needs during voting. The elderly, pregnant women and those with babies were given preferential treatment on voting day. In another positive development, tactile ballot guides for the blind were available in polling centres. Provisions were also made for the old and illiterate voters to cast their votes without assistance. There are three ways that a choice can be registered in Sierra Leone, by marking an x on the choice or putting a tick. Alternatively voters may use ink that is provided in the booth to mark their ballot papers. This meant that the aged and illiterate were able to cast their votes without assistance from polling officials. This is particularly important in Zimbabwe where we a have a huge number of assisted voters. office especially faced with infrastructural challenges in transport and communication.” The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) noted that NEC administered the elections with “commendable professionalism, fairness and firmness,” while the European Union observed that NEC had organised the elections “in a transparent and impartial manner.” NDI expressed that the way NEC conducted the elections “established Sierra Leonean ownership over the process” while the National Election Watch (NEW), a coalition of civic and non-governmental organisations lauded NEC for an electoral process that “was uniquely open and participative” which has “fostered an atmosphere of positive expectations for the next political dispensation.” The Sierra Leone elections are an example to many, Zimbabwe included, that where there is will to conduct a credible and acceptable election, the human resources and expertise are never in short supply in the country in question. NEC also made the processing of voters smooth and fast by the provision of more than five polling stations in one centre. Despite voting starting at 7.00 am and officially ending at 17.00 hrs, by 1500 hrs no queues were noted and this enabled counting to start immediately thereafter when it was still daylight. This is unlike in our case where polls close at 7 pm when it is dark thereby increasing mistrust during the counting process. The counting was conducted in a transparent manner and immediately copies of the results were posted on the walls outside polling stations for the public to see. For our country to run successful, credible, free and fair elections, as is the case in Sierra Leone, the electoral management body has to be truly independent and headed by a credible, morally astute professional whose credibility is never in doubt. Furthermore, ZEC should have its own infrastructure and not rely on the Registrar General's office and staff and the Electoral Directorate, which is made up of the army, the police and the senior civil servants thereby politicising the election. It should cease to be an appendage of any ministry but should be an independent entity reporting only to a democratically elected parliament. That the NEC chairperson succeeded in coming up with a professional team to run the elections is manifest in the litany of eulogies that different observer groups showered NEC with. The AU observer mission concluded “NEC organised the elections in an open, impartial and competent manner. Most stakeholders expressed satisfaction with the The Sierra Leone elections showed that given enough political will, the enactment of a wholly independent, impartial and competent electoral management body is not only possible but also very important in restoring the electorate's confidence in the way elections are run. It also gives credibility to the whole electoral process 20