By Amin Kef (Ranger)
Sierra Leone has held regular multiparty elections since the end of its civil war in 2002. However, opposition parties have faced Police violence and restrictions on Assembly.
Civic groups are constrained by onerous regulations and Government corruption remains pervasive. Other long-standing concerns include gender-based violence and female genital mutilation (FGM).
In November, the government of President Julius Maada Bio suspended Auditor General Lara Taylor-Pearce. Taylor-Pearce that year reported that no specific reason for her suspension was given, while civil society groups criticized the Bio administration’s move. Taylor-Pearce till date remains suspended.
Parliament voted to abolish the death penalty in July and President Bio signed the subsequent law banning the practice in October. Some 99 people facing the death penalty as of July that same year reportedly benefited from the change.
The president is elected by popular vote for up to two five-year terms. In the March 2018 presidential election, Julius Maada Bio of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) defeated Samura Kamara of the All People’s Congress (APC) and succeeded his predecessor Ernest Bai Koroma.
Bio won nearly 52 percent of the vote in the second round. Allegations of violence and voter intimidation marred the campaign period. Nevertheless, international observers determined that the election was credible, praising the National Election Commission (NEC) for effectively fulfilling its duties despite budget constraints, logistical challenges, and pressure from the government, which disbursed election funds late and occasionally threatened to withhold resources.
In the unicameral Parliament, 132 members are popularly elected and 14 seats are reserved for indirectly elected paramount chiefs. Parliamentary elections are held every five years, concurrently with presidential elections.
During the 2018 polls, the APC retained its majority, winning 68 seats, while the SLPP increased its share to 49 seats. The remaining 15 seats were won by smaller parties and independents. Despite some procedural errors, international observers considered the elections credible.
In April 2018, APC members of Parliament (MPs) staged a walkout over the SLPP’s efforts to prevent a group of APC lawmakers from attending the body’s first post-electoral session.
In May 2019, the High Court ruled in favor of an SLPP petition alleging APC electoral fraud in the 2018 vote. Ten MPs were removed from office and nine seats were immediately given to SLPP runners-up, giving that party a slender effective majority.
The electoral laws and framework are generally deemed to be fair. NEC commissioners are selected by the president, though the parliament must approve appointments.
European Union electoral observers reported that the NEC was “competent and impartial” in administering the 2018 elections. In November 2021, however, the APC criticized the NEC’s handling of a local contest held in Koinadugu the month before; it alleged that NEC staff engaged in fraud that benefited the SLPP.
During the 2018 campaign period, the major political parties interpreted a constitutional citizenship provision to exclude people with dual citizenship from standing for office. However, a September 2021 Supreme Court ruling declared that dual citizens can vote and seek office.
Although people have the right to organize in different political parties, opposition parties and leaders have faced intimidation and harassment from APC and SLPP governments.
In December 2021, Unity Party chairwoman Femi Claudius-Cole was detained over comments she made regarding the midterm census, though she was released after several days. APC politician Diana Konomanyi was also detained, though she was more quickly released without charge.
The APC and SLPP are the country’s main political parties. Seventeen parties officially registered for the 2018 elections but only four won parliamentary seats. In 2017, several high-profile figures left the SLPP to form the National Grand Coalition.
While candidate nomination fees are subsidized, the costs of running for office and a rule requiring public-sector personnel to resign 12 months ahead of an election serve as barriers to entry for many candidates, giving an advantage to larger parties and those with greater resources.
Be all of that as it may, the two contending parties – SLPP and APC must realize that Sierra Leone is bigger than either of them and that the June 24, 2023 elections must not be a do or die affair because after elections there is life.
