Sierra Leone lawmakers called on to pass election reforms
Lawmakers have been called on to pass contested electoral reforms by President Julius Maada Bio, Sierra Leone’s president, Africa News and agencies report on August 10th.
Bio made this demand during his televised address on August 9th when the reform bill was passed into law after weeks of deadlock.
He made “a clear and solemn appeal: let this bill be passed now” as it is the outcome of “years of consultation and engagement”.
The proposed electoral reforms would drastically change politics in Sierra Leone. It would create a quota for women to fill 30% of political leadership roles and ensure regional balance, minority inclusion and gender equality are all considered when the president makes appointments.
It would also have a significant impact on the 2028 presidential election as it includes a reduction in the vote share a presidential candidate needs to secure victory.
Currently, a candidate needs to win 55% of the vote to become president – under the proposed legislation, this would be dropped to 50% plus one vote.
If the reform passes, a presidential candidate would only need to secure 50%plus one vote of the national vote and a minimum of 20% of votes in two-thirds of the district vote. A runoff would be triggered if no candidate secured the required vote share.
Presidential runoffs are held 2 weeks after the first results between the first and second-placed candidates, according to Africa News.
A deadlock in Parliament has been triggered over these proposals as the party in power, the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) support the bill, whereas the opposition party, the All People’s Congress (APC), strongly contests the changes.
According to the SLPP, the electoral reform would reduce financial costs and security risks with presidential runoffs, as well as increasing democracy in the country.
The APC counters this by arguing the current 55% vote share is necessary for presidential legitimacy and pushes candidates to implement policies beneficial for the whole nation instead of targeting specific regions.
Africa News plus agencies, Maghrebi.org
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