ADDIS ABABA, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU), the United Nations (UN), and the European Union (EU) have urged peaceful conduct of elections in Sierra Leone.

The four organizations are closely following the progress toward Sierra Leone's presidential, parliamentary and local council elections scheduled to take place on March 7, according to a joint statement released on Thursday.

Welcoming the efforts made by the National Electoral Commission for the preparation of the polls, and the deployment of national and international observers, the organizations expressed concern about recent incidents of election-related violence in the west African nation.

"We also welcome the commitment expressed by Sierra Leonean stakeholders for the holding of democratic, transparent and credible polls, in line with national and international frameworks."

The organizations urged all political parties and their leaders to exercise restraint and desist from inflammatory statements, and calling on their supporters to refrain from violence.

The organizations also urged civil society, as well as the media to be aware of their important roles, while calling on the judiciary and security services to fulfill their responsibilities with professionalism and impartiality.

They called on all Sierra Leonean youth and women to engage and participate peacefully in the elections.

"We reiterate that ensuring a level playing field for all political actors should be a priority for all institutions and individuals concerned in enabling inclusive, peaceful and credible elections," the statement said.