Freetown, 2nd March 2026 – A coalition of civil society organisations has strongly condemned remarks made in Parliament that accused the National Election Watch (NEW) of fueling conflict and lacking credibility.
The comments, delivered by Deputy Speaker Ibrahim Tawa Conteh during the confirmation of the Chief Electoral Commissioner, drew sharp reactions from NEW’s leadership and its 400 member organisations. They described the statements as “mischaracterisation and misinformation” aimed at discrediting the coalition’s work and undermining its relationship with the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone.
The Deputy Speaker’s suggestion that election observers were “trying to fuel conflict” was rejected outright by NEW, which pointed to its record of peaceful electoral monitoring since 2002. The coalition has played a key role in voter education, Parallel Vote Tabulation, and independent monitoring of electoral processes.
Civil society leaders stressed that both local and international observers are essential partners in safeguarding democracy. “Election observers are human rights defenders, and they must be protected by the state,” the statement read.
NEW highlighted its international standing, noting its leadership roles in the West Africa Election Observer Network (WAEON), the Africa Election Observers Network (AfeoNet), and membership in the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM). It has also led and participated in several international election missions across Africa.
The coalition reaffirmed its commitment to work collaboratively with election management bodies ahead of the 2028 general elections, insisting that its monitoring role will continue “with integrity and in full accordance with the law.”
Civil society organisations urged Parliament to recognise the invaluable contributions of election observers, warning that misinformation risks eroding trust in democratic processes.
