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Written by: Seringe ST Touray
Sierra Leone is facing a major political battle over proposed changes to its 1991 Constitution that could significantly change how the country elects its president and members of Parliament. Under the current system, a presidential candidate needs at least 55% of the vote to win in the first round.
If no candidate reaches that threshold, the two leading candidates go to a run-off. The proposed amendment would replace the 55% requirement with a system under which the candidate with the highest number of votes could win without securing more than half of all votes, provided they also meet a required level of support across the country’s districts.
The bill would also make proportional representation a permanent part of parliamentary elections. This means seats would be allocated largely according to each party’s share of the vote, rather than voters directly electing an MP to represent their constituency.
President Julius Maada Bio has defended the proposed reforms, saying they are the result of years of consultation and would strengthen Sierra Leone’s electoral and democratic system.
The proposals have triggered strong opposition from the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC). Its MPs walked out of Parliament on Monday during a dispute over whether key constitutional changes required a two-thirds majority vote.
