Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. The host of the 2018 Presidential Debates, Hassan Arouni, has revealed a serious allegations regarding a confrontation he faced from one of the event organizers from the African Young Voices (AYV) during the interlude of the debate at the Freetown International Conference Centre.
Arouni claims he was “choked up and pushed to the wall” after altering the debate questions, which he had initially prepared himself.
In a recent statement, Arouni described the debate as one of the most challenging periods of his career, emphasising the tension surrounding the event. He stated, “It was a chance to ask questions that really matter, where aspirants would be held accountable for their responses.”
Despite receiving praise from many Sierra Leoneans for his moderation, Arouni said that he faced criticism on social media, with some accusing him of of being biased.
He confirmed that he wrote the debate questions himself, stating he “guarded those questions with his life.” He explained that when he was approached by AYV and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to host the debate, he agreed under strict conditions set by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
According to him, he was warned by the BBC that he would be solely responsible for the questions, and if anything went wrong, he would face the consequences alone.
During the preparation phase, Arouni revealed that an AYV staff member was sent to assist him in drafting the questions. However, he claimed the staff member did not contribute to the content.
After preparing the questions, Arouni locked his laptop and later changed the questions before submitting them. He maintained that he kept the original questions private and undisclosed.
On the day of the debate, according to him, he discovered that none of his original questions were present in the auto-queue system, except for the introduction he had prepared. Fortunately, he had his personal laptop with him, which contained the original questions he had safeguarded.
Following the first round of the debate, Arouni reported that one of the organisers from AYV confronted him aggressively, questioning why he had altered the questions.
He noted that prior to the debate, that same individual had expressed a desire to co-moderate, a request that was denied by the CSOs, who insisted that Arouni be the sole moderator.
His revelation is shocking, depicting the intimidation the press faces from individuals with political ties in the West African country. Some netizens have urged authorities to ensure that a safe space is created for journalists and other citizens to express their views unhindered.
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