By Sallieu S. Kanu
Bo, Sierra Leone, September 29, 2026: The Chief Electoral Commissioner and Chairman of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), Edmond Sylvester Alpha, has called on political parties, civil society organizations, the media, and development partners to critically examine and help shape the Commission’s new Strategic Plan for 2025-2029, describing it as a blueprint for strengthening democracy, transparency, and institutional resilience in Sierra Leone.
Speaking at the official validation workshop in Bo on Tuesday, Alpha said the strategic plan represents “a solemn pact with the citizens of Sierra Leone” and outlines the Commission’s vision to deliver credible, transparent, inclusive, and technologically-driven electoral processes over the next five years.
Addressing government officials, political party representatives, civil society groups, development partners, media practitioners, educational institutions, and ECSL staff, the Chief Electoral Commissioner emphasized that electoral administration must continuously evolve to meet emerging social, political, and technological challenges.
“The draft strategic plan before you today is the product of extensive internal assessment, technical consultations, and evaluations of past election cycles, including recommendations from domestic and international election observation missions,” he stated.
Alpha noted that the Commission has reflected on lessons learned from previous elections and remains committed to innovation, capacity enhancement, regulatory compliance, and deeper stakeholder engagement.
He disclosed that the 2025-2029 Strategic Plan is built around four key pillars aimed at strengthening the institution and improving public confidence in the electoral process.
The first pillar focuses on institutional and staff development through the promotion of professionalism, merit-based recruitment, gender inclusivity, stronger regional and district operations, and improved administrative efficiency.
The second pillar prioritizes electoral education, communication, and participation by promoting year-round civic and voter education, combating electoral misinformation, and expanding opportunities for women, youths, first-time voters, and persons with disabilities to participate in the democratic process.
Under the third pillar, ECSL plans to modernize its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and data management systems by strengthening digital infrastructure, protecting voter database integrity, enhancing cybersecurity measures, and improving access to electoral data.
Alpha said the fourth pillar centers on stakeholder engagement and collective ownership of the electoral reform agenda.
In what emerged as the strongest message of his address, the ECSL Chairman urged stakeholders to rigorously interrogate the draft document.
“Validation is about collective ownership. We do not want this strategic plan to reflect only the voice of the Commission; it must embody the aspirations, standards, and scrutiny of the entire democratic ecosystem of Sierra Leone,” Alpha declared.
He challenged participants to assess whether the Commission’s goals are realistic and achievable, whether performance indicators are measurable, and whether the plan adequately addresses operational and public trust challenges facing Sierra Leone’s electoral landscape.
According to Alpha, feedback generated during the validation workshop will directly inform the final costed strategic plan that will guide ECSL’s operations through 2029.
He expressed appreciation to international development partners, political parties, civil society organizations, and members of the technical drafting committee for their support throughout the planning process.
Alpha formally declared the validation workshop open and called for “fruitful, candid and constructive deliberations” as stakeholders work together to strengthen the country’s democratic institutions.
The ECSL recently launched stakeholder engagement activities nationwide as part of efforts to develop and validate its 2025-2029 Strategic Plan ahead of future electoral reforms and the 2028 elections.