The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), led by Sir Jimmy Batilo Songa, has responded to the press statement of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) and the International Moral Guarantors and their assessment of the just- concluded meeting on the Tripartite Committee’s Recommendations.
Stating its overall position and constitutional stance on the press statement, the SLPP National Executive thanked the International Moral Guarantors for helping Sierra Leone stay peaceful and stable, stressing that His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio is fully committed to carrying out the Agreement for National Unity and the Tripartite Committee’s Recommendations.
Emphasising the law as its main message, the SLPP National Executive insists that any changes to the Electoral ommission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) or Parliament must follow Section 32(11) of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, which stated that the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone shall not be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority.
The governing party argues that Parluament can not oversee ECSL’s day-to-day or professional work, just like Parliament can’t control judges, the Anti-Corruption Commission, or the Sierra Leone Audit Service. The party executive is basically saying “yes to reforms, but no to political interference in the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone.”
Among the Tripartite Committee’s Recommendations, the SLPP laid out Points 4&5 as its specific Recommendations. On Point 4, the party welcomes expanding the Tripartite Steering Committee to include other political parties, Paramount Chiefs, and civil society so that the reforms will have wider support.
On Point 5, the party backs ‘proportional representation’ as the voting system for future elections, as set out in the Constitutional Amemdment Bill 2025.
About the Author
