THE MAYOR OF FREETOWN, MRS. YVONNE AKI- SAWYER
Sierra Leone’s Constitutional Amendments Bill will be voted on today. The significance of this vote cannot be overstated. In my opinion, the two most important clauses in the Bill are in respect of the electoral system and the threshold for winning presidential elections.
Public opinion, through the position of civil society, religious leaders and traditional rulers, clearly favors the First Past The Post (FPTP) electoral system which will ensure that all communities (at both ward and constituency levels) are able to choose and have their own representatives in Local Councils and in Parliament. With respect to the threshold for winning presidential elections, the introduction in the Bill of a minimum percentage of district votes will create negative incentives for expelling minority voters from certain districts, thus fueling violence before and during elections. A district specific element should not be added to the presidential threshold.
Today is a historic day that will significantly impact the future of democracy in our nation. I urge all Members of Parliament to vote for Sierra Leone; reject the Proportional Representation (PR) electoral system and retain the existing presidential threshold at 55% nationwide.
#Vote4SierraLeone
THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE SIERRA LEONE BAR ASSOCIATION, MRS. BASITA MICHAEL
Over the past few weeks, we have heard a consistent national message of peace, unity and reconciliation. Today, Parliament’s vote on the Constitutional Amendment Bill is therefore about much more than electoral reform. It is an opportunity to enact constitutional reforms that inspire confidence, preserve peace and deepen our democracy.
Any constitutional arrangement that rewards politicians for treating certain districts as electoral battlegrounds to be won at all costs, or that creates incentives to intimidate, exclude or discourage voters, risks undermining the very peace we say we are building.
Our Constitution should never create incentives for political actors to divide communities or make any Sierra Leonean feel excluded because of electoral advantage. Constitutional reform should strengthen our shared citizenship, not test it.
I therefore appeal to Members of Parliament across the political aisle: if you cannot deliver every electoral reform that Sierra Leoneans have called for, then at the very least ensure that the Constitution reinforces, rather than weakens, our national cohesion.
And if you cannot deliver the electoral reforms that many Sierra Leoneans expected from the Tripartite process, then at the very least leave us with an electoral framework that unites us in competition rather than divides us in the pursuit of victory.
Some constitutional choices endure far beyond the Parliament that enacts them. Today’s vote is one of those moments. I hope our lawmakers choose a path that leaves Sierra Leone more united, more peaceful and more confident in its democracy.
SIMON KOROMA
Amending a constitution to favor a current ruling party is a short-sighted strategy often called constitutional weaponization.
Let the constitutional amendment favour the entire Nation and the people that are represented in parliament. The constitutional amendment must not favour neither the ruling party nor the opposition. The constitutional amendment must favour first the common interest of the majority of the people. The entire country first!
This would lead to sustainable peace and socio-economic development for the common good of all without leaving anyone behind!
The Risk of Political Reversal -Power is cyclical.
No ruling party stays in power forever.
Precedents bite back.
Expanded powers will eventually be inherited by your rivals.
Loopholes get abused.
Weapons you build today will be used against you tomorrow.
Consequences of Self-Serving Amendments.
Erosion of trust. Citizens lose faith in democratic institutions.
Instability.
Frequent constitutional changes create legal and economic chaos.
Authoritarian slide. Weakening checks and balances risks creating a dictatorship.
Putting the Nation First The Veil of Ignorance. Design laws as if you do not know your future political status.
Robust checks. Keep branches of government independent to prevent abuse of power.
Broad consensus. Require supermajorities so laws reflect the general will, not party whims.
@ Passing laws to benefit only the ruling party can harm democracy by weakening fair rules, reducing trust in public institutions, and hurting minority voices.
Risks to Democracy – Unfair elections: Changing voting rules to help the current leaders stay in power.
Loss of trust: Making people lose faith in laws and government fairness.
Fewer checks and balances: Removing limits on government power to stop abuse.
Long-Term Problems – Political instability: Causing anger and protests from the public and opposing parties.
Bad precedents: Giving future leaders the excuse to use the same self-serving tactics.
Rerun elections should neither be completely abolished nor entirely left out of a constitution, but rather heavily restricted and strictly defined to prevent political abuse.
In constitutional law, a rerun election (or “redo election”) is a vital democratic safety valve used when massive electoral fraud, severe violence, or systematic machine failures make it impossible to determine the true will of the voters. However, leaving the provision unvetted or omitting it entirely creates dangerous legal vacuums.
Ultimately, a constitution must include rerun guidelines to handle worst-case scenarios, but the text must be tightly written so the clause cannot be weaponized to destabilize a peaceful democracy.
May God give wisdom and understanding in our socio political leaders and all representatives in making good choices for the common good of all and the next generations to come.
Stay safe stay blessed.
With love and concern,
Simon. K. K.
Leave a Reply