AYV News, July 23, 2025
“Sierra Leone is at the crossroads; Sierra Leone is redefining its political history; and redefining its legislative and electoral history. It is navigating a path for installing an electoral governance system that accommodates the highest standards in electoral processes, rooted in the aspiration for societal cohesion that stimulates societal unity in a country that prioritises decentralisation of development programmes for the enjoyment of its people”, the Chief Minister said.
Dr. David Sengeh was speaking at a national dialogue on the choice of preferred electoral system for Sierra Leone. It was held on Thursday at the Bintumani conference centre. Dr. Sengeh sounded exhilarated. His acknowledgment of every category of the audience with due reverence to persons with disability, the youth, students and pupils, political parties, development partners appeared to communicate his excitement that might have originated from a meeting he had with President Bio centered on the full implementation of the Unity Agreement: salaries of opposition MPs and councillors who did not occupy their offices following the political impasse after the 2023 elections would be paid. For Sengeh, it meant that: ‘together, we will deliver’.
The United Nations Resident Coordinator and the European Union Ambassador stressed on the notion of societal unity informed by the historical and cultural context of a people whose respect for political leadership and religious definitions was unique in the world.
Some five hundred Sierra Leoneans across the country gathered at the Bintumani conference center to talk, to consult, to engage on what voting system they would like to be using during elections. That was Sierra Leone – a country reaching political maturity converging in a hall to choose what was best for it informed by the socio-political context that underpinned its realities.
The national dialogue accommodated position papers from the All Peoples Congress Party, All Political Parties Association, Sierra Leone Peoples Party, Council of Paramount Chiefs, etc.
These provided rich insight into the social and political history of the two electoral systems used in the country’s elections from 1996 to 2023. Proportional Representation and First-Past-the-Post had been used interchangeably during those periods. The papers suggested what was best for Sierra Leone. And the participants – the galaxy of opinions indicated their understanding of the voting system of their choice that would unite the nation.
The national dialogue was preceded by technical and general consultations that took place some fifteen days ago in Freetown. Four consultations were also conducted in the regions and one held in the Western Rural Area of Waterloo.
The national dialogue was the key activity in the implementation of recommendation 78 of the Tripartite Report, which called for it in the determination of a preferred electoral system.
The dialogue was organised by the Tripartite Steering Committee Secretariat together with the Office of the Attorney-General, with funding from the government of Sierra Leone and the European Union in Sierra Leone through International IDEA.
