Sierra Leone’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay Esq., has announced that the country could hold a constitutional referendum either before or alongside the 2028 general elections.
The announcement comes as the 1991 Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2025 remains stalled in Parliament following prolonged debates and disagreements between the government and opposition sides, particularly over the proposed Proportional Representation (PR) system.
The opposition All People’s Congress ( APC ) has remained stoutly opposed to the constitutional amendments.
The Attorney General affirmed government commitment to allowing Sierra Leoneans to decides on a new constitutional framework through a public vote.
This is apparently good news for all meaningful citizens that projects better future for Sierra Leone and its peoples.
Details of the constitutional amendments are as follows 👇👇👇
1. Presidential Election Threshold: The first-round victory requirement shifts from 55% to a simple majority (50%+1), with at least 20% of votes in two-thirds of the country’s voting districts.
2. Electoral System: Move from First-Past-The-Post (constituency-based) to Proportional Representation, eliminating by-elections.
3. Removal of President and Vice President: Parliament, by a two-thirds majority, would be the sole body empowered to remove a sitting President or Vice-President who has been expelled from the party under which they were elected.
4. Appointment of the Chief Electoral Commissioner: The President will not directly appoint the Chief Electoral Commissioner; instead, a Search and Nomination Committee will nominate the commissioner, who must meet specified requirements.
5. Fixed date for general elections: General elections will be held on the second Saturday of November in every election year.
6. Women Representation: At least 30% of a political party’s nominees for national and local government elections must be women.
7. Independent Presidential Candidates: Independent candidates may contest the presidency; candidates are no longer required to run under a political party if they meet the presidential eligibility criteria.
8. Time to resign to contest Parliament: The period to resign from any public office in order to contest a seat in Parliament is reduced from 12 months to 6 months.
9. Petitioning election results: The window to file a petition in the Supreme Court against election results is reduced from seven days to three days after results are announced.
10. Dual Citizenship: Certain categories of dual citizens are disqualified from holding the offices of President, Vice President, or Speaker of Parliament.
11. Presidential Transition Limits: After an election, outgoing presidents would be restricted from making major public appointments, signing major contracts, or pursuing significant institutional changes.
Leave a Reply