Freetown [Sierra Leone] The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon Tuesday described pre-electoral arrangements in Sierra Leone as “remarkable success” and urged the international community to step up assistance for the the country’s post-war reconstruction.

The fact that 91 percent of the eligible voters have registered for the 2007 elections is both a demonstration of the civic maturity of the people of Sierra Leone and an important indication of the capacity of the National Electoral Commission, Mr Ban said.

His statement was contained in the latest report on the work of the UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone [UNIOSIL].

Mr Ban however expressed disatisfaction over the slow deployment of state authority across the country as well as efforts to combat corruption and promote accountability which he noted have been “painfully slow to yield results.”

Hence, the country clearly needs the support of the international community particularly to improve the image of the army and police, the Korean diplomat urged, and noted that the lack of a solid private sector in the country was also hampering growth rate in the war-scarred country.

Published by Korir, African Press in Norway, apn, africanpress@chello.no tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525 source.apa