By Sulaiman Jalloh
United State Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Bryan David Hunt has clarified that the 1.5 million United State dollars donated by the American government has nothing to do with a re-run election in Sierra Leone, noting the money is to support the electoral review committee setup by President Bio to facilitate their work.
Speaking to newsmen on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 in Freetown just after the signing of the Terms of Reference of the tripartite committee at Brooksfields Hotel, the ambassador noted that the cost of running an election is about tens of million dollars or nearly hundreds of million dollars, stating the 1.5 million dollars they give has nothing to do with a re-run election, adding the money is intended to assist the electoral review committee to do their work as mandated.
“I think people need to understand that the cost of running an election goes into the tens of millions, nearly one hundreds of million dollars. So, 1.5 million we have given has nothing to do with re-running elections. That money is strictly for the work of the electoral review committee” the ambassador pointed out, adding it has the benefit an international expert as the committee reviews Sierra Leone’s Law and that the committee can also carry out the important consultations that it needs to do with Sierra Leoneans.
Ambassador Hunt noted that, as the committee shapes its recommendations for the attention of the president, people should not be telling lies/falsehood.
“As it shapes its recommendations for the attention of the president, anyone suggesting a re-running of election is telling you falsehood” he articulated
The electoral review committee was set up by president Bio followed a three-day dialogue between the government of Maada Bio and the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party and resolutions was signed by both parties at the Bintumani Hotel in Freetown on the 18th, October, 2023.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Friday, February 9th, 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
