Freetown — The presidential and parlimentary elections in Sierra Leone have been conducted peacefully but the European Union Observer Mission has pointed out a lot of shortcomings in the process.

The shortcomings ranged from misuse of public resources during campaigns to buying votes and the National Electoral Commission's failure to adhere to certain principles dictated by law.

"There were cases where money was distributed by candidates, the most notable was from the residence of the Vice President in Freetown", the EU Mission states in its official report.

It adds: "In some instances, there were also reports that state officials used state resources in favour of the ruling party ( Sierra Leone Peopel's Party) The report notes: "The NEC (National Electoral Commission) guidelines for the counting and tallying process have in a few instances deviated from the procedures detailed in the electoral law".

The Mission points out: "Contrary to previous two post -war elections, copies of the polling stations results forms were posted but not distributed to party agents as stated by law".

The EU Observer Mission says NEC only issued polling procedures in mid July "that limited the possibility for changes to be made to them from recommendations made by the political parties or civil society groups".

The Mission states that the Government of Sierra Leone failed to fullfil its 30% obligtory financial contribution to the election process. The international community had to release extra funds from the UN Peace Building Fund approved by the UN for post-war era in the country. Sierra Leone experienced a war from 1991 to 2001. First elections were conducted in 1996 and the second in 2002 on Proportional Representation system.

Out of a population of 4.9 million people only two million, six hundred and twenty-one thousand are registered for the elections. Many were disenfranchsied because polling centres were set up far away fom each other, thus perventing rural residents in remote areas from registering.

Also, in many instances, people arrived at registration centres only to be told that materials were finished. "Though widely perceived to be a success in terms of number of eligible voters registered, there were some complaints about the distance people had to travel...this discouraged those living further away from the centres from registering".

The EU Observer Group also points out that the voter register was not publicly displayed for scrutinisation so as to object to illegible voters.

The electoral laws require public servants to resign twelve months prior to elections. But depite to objections made against the nomination of 54 potential candidates for parliament, only one was disqualified.

However, the whole elections process went on peacefully except for a few isolated incidents prior to polling day. Clashes between supporters of the All People's Congress and the Sierra Leone People's Party, the two leading parties in the country were halted through the intervention of the police.

On polling day vigilant youths seized boxes suspected of containing illegal ballot papers. In one instance angry youths seized three boxes containing illegal ballot papers and took them to Radio Citizen at Kissy east of the capital Freetown.

On August 13, at a press briefing at the British Council, a reporter of Radio Citizen presented samples of the already filled ballots in favour of a particular political party, to the commission's official including Dr. Christiana Thorpe, the chairperson, who was addressing journalists.

Partial results have been released but thousands of polling stations are still awaited. The results indicate that the opposition All People's Congress has swept substantial votes in the Western part including the capital Freetown and in the North.

The law requires a winner to get 55% of the total votes cast or else there will have to be a Runfoff, which is now a speculation among many.