Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, First Lady Fatima Bio Register to Vote in 2023 Elections, Say Democracy Is the Alternative to Violence

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His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio and First Lady Fatima Bio, have completed their voter registrations, which commenced today 3 September and will last till 4 October 2022, assuring Sierra Leoneans that democracy is the alternative to violence.

At the Military Hockey Pitch, one of the centers on Wilberforce, the President and his wife also urged citizens of voting age to come out in numbers and register with the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone, ECSL, so that they would be qualified to vote in the 2023 national Presidential, Parliamentary, and Local Council Elections.

"This is not the first time the Electoral Commission is embarking on the electioneering process in the country. They have been doing it every five years. So, as a government and as a nation, it is our expectation and conviction that they have been working very hard to be perfect in handling such tasks.

"With support from the National Civil Registration Authority, NCRA, the work is much easier now than in the past, because once my name was input into their system, all other details that were required to be asked just showed up in their system. I was registered very quickly. So, I am sure that, for the ECSL, this exercise will be a very quick and short process," the President said.

President Julius Maada Bio further noted that because the registration was part of the elections, calling on whosoever was of voting age to complete the registration process to be able to vote. He added that that would be the only way they could express their views instead of engaging in violence.

"Go and register so that on that day you will have the power in your hand to change or support the government in power," he said and called on political party supporters to be peaceful, law-abiding and to abstain from all forms of violence.

"My messages have been the same before 2018 as a presidential aspirant and now as the President of the country, they remain the same. We don’t need to fight. That is why we have democracy. Once you have your ballot, you can be in the position to say whatever you want to say by keeping or supporting or changing that government.

"So, nobody is expected to be violent. Democracy is an alternative to violent change of government. I am calling on all citizens of voting age to register so that they can maintain this government because of the many good things we have been doing. We are still counting," he concluded.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Republic of Sierra Leone State House.