Outrage as Sierra Leone jacks up fees for political aspirants

Sierra Leone’s elections body on Tuesday announced a hundred-fold hike in the fee to run for president in November, prompting an outcry from political parties.

“Presidential candidates will pay 100 million Leones (18,000 euro, $23,000) each as nomination fee while those contesting for parliamentary seats will pay 25 million Leones each,” said National Electoral Commission (NEC) chief Christiana Thorpe.

In 2007 the fee was one million Leones.

The main opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party secretary general Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie described the fees as “ludicrious” adding that the election commission “should have consulted with all parties before taking the decision.”

“Before deciding on the fees, we looked at nomination fees in sub regional countries and based on comparison, the fees (in Sierra Leone) are minimal,” Thorpe said.

She said the polls would cos taxpayers $21.1 million dollars, excluding 9.6 million dollars of donor contribution towards the country’s third election since the end of a bloody civil war in 2002.

This is less than the $47 million announced in November last year.

The ruling All People’s Congress (APC) of President Ernest Koroma who is seeking a second term in the November 17 election, was also not pleased with the cost.

“The fees for presidential candidates should have been reduced by some percentage while that of those running for parliament should have been increased,” said secretary general Victor Foh.