UN statement regarding the election process in Sierra Leone...

The statement below was written following a special meeting convened by His Excellency the President Alhaji Dr Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and the two main political party leaders on September 2, 2007. This meeting was held in order to make the necessary agreements in order to ensure that peace and stability would be maintained during the election period. The two leaders are to ‘strengthen their mutual trust and confidence which should flow down to their supporters in particular and the nation in general.’

Statement by The Executive Representative of the Secretary-General in support of national efforts to ensure peaceful and violence-free elections

3 September 2007

On behalf of the United Nations family in Sierra Leone, and on my own behalf, I wish to congratulate His Excellency the President, Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, on the timely initiative to bring together the leaders of the two political parties, the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) and the All Peoples Congress (APC) to agree on measures to ensure peaceful and credible presidential run-off election.

In the same vein, I congratulate the two presidential candidates, Hon. Ernest Bai Koroma (APC) and Hon. Solomon Berewa (SLPP), for the role they played in reaching an agreement on the issues stipulated in the Communiqué issued by the Office of the President on 2 September 2007.

For the United Nations, the historic meeting between the two leaders, held on 2 September under the aegis of His Excellency the President, marks an important milestone in the collective efforts to foster an atmosphere of peace and tranquility that had characterized the first round of the ongoing national elections, whose credible outcome has earned the country international praise and admiration.

As the nation embarks on the next and final round of the electoral process, due on 8 September, I wish to take the opportunity to call on the people of Sierra Leone and all political actors to continue to show patience and tolerance and support for the work of the National Electoral Commission and the Sierra Leone security agencies to ensure a peaceful and credible conclusion of the presidential run-off elections.