A large number of people hospitalized or in remand, or police custody could be prevented from voting if they fail to register in their local wards or community where they live when the voter registration process starts on the 23rd of January, which is just one week away.
In an exclusive interview with Albert Massaquoi, the Chief of External Relations at the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Awoko has learnt that no provision has been made to cater for people who might either be in hospitals, on the road working inside the country or in police custody awaiting trial as the case may be.
According to Albert Massaquoi, “the registration process is fixed.” He said, “We have fixed registration centers from January 23rd right through to the 26th of March at various places, centers and towns, across the country, and Sierra Leoneans would have to avail themselves (to register) if they want to vote at the next elections in November 2012.”
Addressing the debate about the rights of people in police custody who have not been found guilty of any crime at the time of registration or during the elections, Mr. Massaquoi explained that “if you are in police custody but have not been proven guilty, but you cannot access any registration centers or polling station, there is nothing the National Electoral Commission (NEC), can do.”
“We do not have any particular center for remand persons, for people in hospitals or even those on the road working at the time of the registration process.” However, he disclosed that anyone can register in any center as long as they can prove their identity to the NEC registration staff.
“To register, you must be able to move out of the hospital-because registration is done by person. The registration center does not go and meet you in the hospital or at the police or prison cell. However, if you register in a centre close to one of these establishments, you cannot vote where you live, you will have to travel back to the center or area where you registered to vote on November 17th 2012.”
“What I will advice is that if you can get out of your bed to register at a center close to an hospital, then it is possible you can go to your ward or community and register; in the instance, you cannot make it to your ward, it is permissible to register anywhere in the country because you are a Sierra Leonean, only that you will not vote anywhere else,” Mr. Albert Massaquoi said.
Figures obtained from the Ministry of Health revealed that at any one time during the whole year between 2,000 to 3,000 people are staying in hospitals across the country. And from the Prisons Authority, there are about 500 or more people on remand at any one time; figures for police cells are unreliable or unstable according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
With that in mind, the NEC Chief of External Relations, Albert Massaquoi warned that “where you register is where you are qualified to vote – there is not going to be any transfer of registration.”
By Winston Ojukutu Macaulay Jr.
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