The Tripartite Steering Committee held a public education session on the eighty (80) Tripartite Recommendations with residents of Koinadugu District. The engagement took place at the Koinadugu District Council Hall in Kabala.
Hon. Hawa Conteh, the district’s representative in Parliament, emphasized the need for a holistic and inclusive approach to implementing the recommendations. She highlighted the importance of peace, unity, and national cohesion, urging citizens to remain vigilant in safeguarding Sierra Leone’s stability and to resist external influences that could undermine the country’s progress.
“As women of this country, we don’t want anything that will jeopardize the fragile peace of our nation,” she said. “All we want is peace.”
Hon. Conteh specifically drew attention to Recommendation 54, which proposes an amendment to Section 13 of the Public Elections Act to require the Electoral Commission to use the National Identity Number for electoral purposes, including voter registration and identification on polling day.
While acknowledging the usefulness of the National Identification Card for various civic and personal needs, she expressed serious concerns about making it a mandatory requirement for the 2028 general elections. She warned that such a policy could disenfranchise many citizens, particularly those in remote communities with limited access to National ID registration services.
“If government wants to succeed in making the National ID a requirement for elections, they must deploy outreach teams that will go from chiefdom headquarter towns to chiefdom headquarter towns to ensure people are registered and receive their National ID cards,” she advised.
Hon. Conteh reaffirmed her commitment to championing electoral reforms that are fair, transparent, and inclusive reforms that reflect the voices, rights, and needs of ordinary Sierra Leoneans.