Electoral body gets US$ 1.3 million support from gov't

27 Octobre 2017

Freetown, Sierra Leone, October 27 (Infosplusgabon) - The National Electoral Commission (NEC) announced on Thursday that it has received US$ 1.3 million from the government of Sierra Leone.

“We have received Le 10 billion (US$ 1.3 million) from the government as part of our budgetary support for the elections,” Commissioner Miatta French told the media.

The support comes as part of the deficit the government owes the electoral body for the first half of the year.

Early this month, Executive Secretary of NEC, William Davies, told Infosplusgabon  that the government owes the Commission US$ 2.6 million from the first half of the year.

“According to the agreement between us and the government, they should provide us with a total of US$ 9.6 million in the first phase of the year. We have only received a little over US$ 7 million over the last nine months,” Davies told Infosplusgabon.

This latest payment means that the government still have to pay a balance of US$ 1.3 million to the commission for the first half of the year.

Western Area Commissioner, Miatta French, told PANA that despite the challenges, they are on track to continue electoral activities.

“The first batch of ID cards has just arrived and we have already put out a notice to hire staff for the distribution,”

NEC is preparing for general elections that would be held on March 7, 2018.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/ERD/ GABON 2017

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