The National Electoral Commission yesterday announced Local Council Election Results for 44 wards in the Western Rural and Urban areas with an average national turn out of 39.3% at the British Council Auditorium in Freetown.
Pronouncing the results the NEC Commissioner for Western Area Hannah Kawaley flanked by other NEC officials said, as promised before some results are now out from the 5,901 stations in the Western Area noting that the tally center has only received results for 1,780stations.
She however noted that, ward results so far had been slow, because the commission is yet to receive results from some polling stations, but considerable progress is being made for all station to complete the entries for a particularly ward.
Commissioner Kawaley disclosed that NEC has already inputted in to the system 345,318. Noting that 326,286 were valid votes and 19,032 were invalid votes, she further intimated that out of the 44 wards only 39 is yet pronounced valid and the other 5 wards are being contested for election malpractice.
She maintained that “NEC is working in accordance with the Electoral Laws Act (Section 84, sub-section 3) and the Local Government Elections Regulations 2008, and all announced results stands valid.
She also admitted that the process is slower than people might wish for, but assured the general public that the Commissions attempts to ensure accuracy and transparency to accelerate the process and at the same time maintain integrity.
Hannah Kawaley confirmed to press and election observers that, the Western Area Branch of the National Electoral Commission has received (60) sixty complaints on alleged vote rigging, and other election regularities, noting that those Complaints without any iota of truth will be dismissed and the results will be officially announced.
By Saidu Bah