Despite a National Electoral Commission’s (NEC) declaration that an agreement has been reached with political parties restricting vehicular movement on Election Day.
According to a NEC recent release, no vehicle will be allowed to move about on election day and will not be allowed to ply the streets of district headquarter towns and cities on polling day except for NEC, Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC),Election Observers, Emergency services, security and other accredited persons. ‘Two vehicles will be accredited for every accredited political party in every constituency with not more than four than four persons on board each vehicle.
Such persons must carry party ID cards. Political party flagbearers should not use more than three vehicles to accompany them to the polling station and shall be required to return home after voting’ the NEC release states.
However, while okadas are banned except for the rural areas, it has become a source of concern that to many that this directive is
Taking another dimension which may be a recipe for chaos.
While Dr. Christiana Thorpe had assured strict compliance to this directive, in what is regarded as a turn-around is that from the Police IG who last week said that the Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation (SLRTC) buses will be put on the roads for those who cannot make it to the polling stations.
However, this is causing some amount of confusion as it is believed that too many people will be on the road on polling day.
For instance, it is said that having with five party vehicles carrying 20 persons, there will be no way of stopping them from causing confusion as the 10 parties will have a large number of persons ( about (80) in every constituency.
This confusion over movement on polling day with the Police stretched to its limits, may be a recipe for trouble.
Another concern raised by citizens is that the SLRTC buses will be vandalized if there is trouble and this will cost the country millions of Leones.
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