The European Union has said that it will monitor the presidential, parliamentary and local council elections to be held in Sierra Leone on November 17 following an invitation from authorities of that African nation.
The European bloc said in a statement on Wednesday that Richard Howitt, chief of the EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), had arrived in Sierra Leone's capital Freetown. He would introduce the rest of his team at a press conference scheduled for Friday.
A core team of six EU election analysts had arrived in Freetown on September 27. They will soon be joined by 28 long-term observers and 50 short-term observers from 27 EU member states, as well as from Norway. A delegation from the European Parliament will also join the EU EOM team shortly before the election day, taking the total strength of the EU election observers to nearly 100.
"The forthcoming elections in Sierra Leone, the third since the end of the civil war, will be very significant for the stability and the democratic development of the country," EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton was quoted as saying in the statement.
Expressing hopes that all state institutions in Sierra Leone would use the forthcoming elections to prove that they have the "capacity to organize credible and transparent" polls, Ashton said she expected all concerned parties to "engage in the process in a peaceful and democratic way."
Ashton noted that the EU has been a longstanding partner of Sierra Leone, pointing out the European bloc has been "providing electoral support to the state authorities that carry the responsibility for organizing these elections."
"In order to strengthen citizens' confidence, the independent EU Election Observation Mission led by Richard Howitt, Member of the European Parliament, is now being deployed to follow the electoral process. I wish to Mr. Howitt and his team all success in their assessment of these elections," she added.
Othman Sheriff is an experienced Sierra Leonean development professional, peacebuilding practitioner, professional journalist and human rights advocate with over two decades of engagement in community development, youth empowerment, education, humanitarian assistance and international development cooperation. Born and raised in Kenema District, Eastern Sierra Leone, he has dedicated much of his professional career to improving the socioeconomic conditions of vulnerable and marginalised populations, particularly disadvantaged young people, women, children and underserved rural communities.
As the Founder and Programme Director of Youth in Action for Development (YAD), Sheriff has played a leading role in mobilising international development assistance and coordinating community-driven interventions aimed at poverty reduction, sustainable livelihoods, social inclusion and grassroots development. Over the years, he has facilitated the mobilisation and implementation of development projects worth billions of Leones, supported by international development partners, including European development institutions, humanitarian organisations and United Nations agencies.
A committed advocate for free and inclusive Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Sheriff spearheaded the establishment of the Youth Resource Academy (YRA) in 2018, through which he has championed access to practical, employment-oriented education for underprivileged youth, particularly young women, school dropouts, single mothers, widows, unemployed youth and individuals from economically disadvantaged households. So far, the Academy has provided vocational, technical and entrepreneurship training opportunities to more than 2,000 youth helping them acquire marketable skills, pursue self-employment and improve their economic independence. He also solicit funds to provide start up kits for the youth who graduated from the academy.
In addition to his development and humanitarian work, Sheriff serves as the Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Critique Echo Newspaper, using journalism as a platform to promote accountability, responsible governance, social justice and public awareness of critical socioeconomic and human rights issues.
He is a dedicate member of many international peacebuilding networks including the United Religions Initiative (URI), International Association of Educators for World Peace (IAEWP), Intercultural Leaders Network of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC)`s Youth Solidarity Fund, and the alumni Association of King Hamad Youth Empowerment Awards.
Through his leadership, advocacy and international partnerships, Sheriff continues to champion a vision of Sierra Leone in which disadvantaged young people have equitable access to education and economic opportunities, women and girls live free from violence and discrimination, human rights are respected, and communities are empowered to pursue peaceful, inclusive and sustainable development.
The European Union has said that it will monitor the presidential, parliamentary and local council elections to be held in Sierra Leone on November 17 following an invitation from authorities of that African nation.
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