By Joseph Momoh, Reporter D.S
Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr has urged Parliamentarians to reject proposed electoral reforms and maintain Sierra Leone’s current voting system as lawmakers prepare to vote on the Constitutional Amendments Bill today.
In a statement issued ahead of the debate, the Mayor described today’s vote as a “defining moment for Sierra Leone’s democracy,” warning that its outcome “cannot be overstated.”
Aki-Sawyerr singled out two clauses as critical: the electoral system for Parliament and the threshold for winning the presidency.
She called on MPs to vote against the introduction of Block Proportional Representation and to retain the First Past The Post system. According to her, FPTP enjoys broad public support from civil society, religious leaders, and traditional authorities.
“Proponents argue FPTP 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,” she stated.
The Bill proposes replacing the current system with Block PR for parliamentary elections. To become law, it will require a two-thirds majority in the 149-seat House — about 99 votes.
The Mayor also opposed a new district-based requirement for presidential elections. The draft amendment would lower the national threshold to a simple majority, but add a condition that a candidate must also secure at least 20% of valid votes in two-thirds of the country’s districts.
Aki-Sawyerr warned that such a clause could “create negative incentives for expelling minority voters from certain districts, thus fueling violence before and during elections.” She said a district-specific element “should not be added to the presidential threshold.”
Under the 1991 Constitution, a presidential candidate must win 55% of the national valid vote to avoid a run-off.
Government’s proposed Clause 42(2)(e) would change this to a simple majority nationally plus the 20% district benchmark.
The amendments follow extensive consultations led by the Tripartite Steering Committee Secretariat under Recommendation 78 of the Tripartite Report. Both PR and FPTP were assessed against Sierra Leone’s political and social realities.
The proposal has drawn criticism across the political spectrum. The main opposition APC, through Acting National Chairman Ambassador Alhaji Osman Foday Yansaneh, has rejected any move to lower the presidential threshold, saying it threatens democratic integrity.
Civil society group ILRAJ also faulted the Bill, noting it departs from Tripartite Committee Recommendation 53, which proposed 50% + 1 nationally and 25% in at least half of all districts.
Parliament is expected to vote later today.
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