By Foday Moriba Conteh
The Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law (CARL-SL) has on Friday 7th January 2022 urged the Government of Sierra Leone to expedite the process by publishing a White Paper and a constitutional bill that is owned, understood, acceptable, and reflects the views and aspirations of the public. That demand was made during a press conference held at its Head office on Circular Road in Freetown.
Speaking to the Press, the Executive Director for Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law (CARL-SL), Ibrahim Tommy, started by expressing appreciation to the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) for approving a $100,000 grant to CARL and its partners in order to launch an inclusive, participatory Constitutional Review project which will keep citizens informed about the progresses made so far towards reviving the constitutional review process.
He maintained that the project is in two fold, firstly to work with the Government of Sierra Leone to ensure that the process is transparent open, inclusive and participatory adding that beyond working with Government CARL also wants to make sure that members of the public are well informed about the context especially the constitutional review White Paper which they are urging the Government to publish.
Ibrahim Tommy maintained that the Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law – Sierra Leone (CARL-SL) is jointly working with a Coalition of Civil Society Organizations, including the Institute of Governance Reform, Action Aid Sierra Leone, Centre for Democracy and Human Rights and Movement for Resettlement and Rural Development on a coordinated strategy that will foster transparency, citizens’ participation and accountability in the ongoing constitutional review process
He further revealed that CARL-SL also seeks to establish a feedback loop that keeps citizens informed and engaged at every stage of the process whilst at the same time informing the Government about the views and attitudes of citizens towards the constitutional review process, and to set up a credible framework that allows an effective interaction between the Government and Civil Society in respect of the ongoing review process.
“In order to bring about increased awareness and wider citizens’ participation, CARL-SL will work closely with key actors in the media and the wider civil society to stimulate a national conversation and bring some pressure to bear on the Government to ensure an open, accountable and expedited review process,” he underscored.
The Executive Director pointed out that the overall objective of their intervention is to ensure a speedy, accountable and citizen-led constitutional review process, as it is important to foster effective interaction between the Government and Civil society.
“We urge the Government of Sierra Leone to expedite the process by publishing a White Paper and a constitutional bill that is owned, understood, acceptable, and reflects the views and aspirations of the public” he reiterated.
