AYV News, 23 August, 2024

President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, presented a position paper to the SLAJ Constitutional Review Committee on behalf of the Association’s national executive.

The proposed changes include provisions for elected officials to receive monthly stipends, the establishment of an Electoral Court to handle election petitions, guidance on disclosure of campaign financing for candidates vying for elected positions and mandatory declaration of assets by elected officials upon assumption of office.

Other recommendations include the establishment of Integrity Management Committees and Internal Auditors at national and regional levels of SLAJ’s operations to ensure financial and administrative controls. Furthermore, the proposal includes the establishment of a Logistics and Procurement Committee to supervise all procurement processes and the assets of the Association.

In the area of gender equality, the proposal includes the establishment of a Gender Advisory Panel comprising members of SLAJ and civil society to advise the Association on gender equality and women’s empowerment issues and to supervise the implementation of the SLAJ Gender Equality Policy for the Media in Sierra Leone.

Position papers were also presented by affiliate bodies including Women in the Media Sierra Leone (WIMSAL), Sierra Leone Reporters Union (SLRU), Sports Writers Association of Sierra Leone (SWASAL), and Veteran Journalists Union (VEJU).

The draft Constitution will be the main agenda at the Association’s upcoming Annual General Meeting in Bo City on September 26-28, 2024.