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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: In Atlanta, Soyia Ellison, soyia.ellison@cartercenter.org
In Freetown, Larry Garber, larry.garber@cartercenter.org, +232 (0) 079 603 392

FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE — The Carter Center has deployed a team of electoral experts to assess the process surrounding Sierra Leone’s March 7 presidential, parliamentary, and local elections.

The Center’s expert mission is limited in scope, focusing on the legal framework, the pre-electoral dynamics, the campaign environment, and electoral dispute resolution. The mission will place specific focus on judicial review of election-related cases, violence prevention initiatives, and the influence of public debates and social media on the electorate. Given the small size of the Center’s team, it will not conduct an assessment of election-day voting and counting procedures. 

The Carter Center established its presence in Freetown in mid-January, and the team has met with representatives of the National Electoral Commission, political parties, civil society organizations, the international community, citizen election observers, and other interlocutors to assess electoral preparations and the pre-electoral environment.

 “Sierra Leone has made important progress since the civil war,” said Field Office Director Larry Garber. "These elections represent an important test of the willingness of all parties to abide by the rules of the game and an opportunity for the international community to learn from Sierra Leone’s experience in responding to specific electoral challenges.

“We support the by the Economic Community of West African States, African Union, United Nations, and the European Union on political parties, their supporters, and other electoral actors to enable peaceful, inclusive, and credible elections."

The Carter Center’s expert mission is the Center’s third in Sierra Leone; it also deployed missions for the 2002 and 2012 elections. It deployed its mission following an invitation from the government of Sierra Leone and has been accredited by the National Election Commission to observe the polls.

The Center conducts election observation activities in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and the Code of Conduct that were adopted at the United Nations in 2005 and have been endorsed by more than 50 election observation groups. The Center assesses electoral processes based on the host country’s national legal framework and its obligations for democratic elections contained in regional and international agreements.

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"Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."
A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.