By Amin Kef Sesay
On the 19th November, 2020, the National Grand Coalition Chairman and Leader, Dr. Dennis Bright, the NGC Parliamentary Leader, Hon. Alhaji Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, the National Secretary General, Alhaji Amadu Sheriff And the Legal Adviser, Ambassador Foday Dabor, paid a courtesy call on H.E. The Vice President, Dr. Juldeh Jalloh, and the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Anthony Brewah, in their respective offices.
For the past two years, the leadership of the National Grand Coalition (NGC) has been pursuing a legislative agenda involving several behind-the-scenes negotiations with Government officials, the APC and C4C for the introduction of a Bill that would enable the following: a) securing 30% of all elected seats for women b) citizens in the Diaspora to hold public office and parliamentary seats except for the positions of President, Vice President, Speaker, and security-related offices and (c) public servants to resign six (6) months (instead of twelve months) if they intend to contest in elections.
The Vice President welcomed the group and expressed his views on all the above issues, some of which he himself has pursued for decades since his days at Campaign for Good Governance.
He also elaborated that the Government is in an advanced stage of the review of the CRC report under which all the above issues will be addressed. He explained the critical importance of electoral reforms, including proportional representation, to open the political space and promote inclusive governance.
The Attorney General acknowledged receiving the letter from Hon Yumkella in July, and assured the NGC team that the Government has held two retreats on governance issues and the CRC process where all these issues have been thoroughly debated and incorporated. He thanked the NGC group for the additional inputs and documents they presented to him.
One of the outcomes of these important meetings is the reassurance given by the Vice President and the Attorney General that the dialogue will continue. Also, the Government will consider whether instead of introducing a separate Bill, all the recommendations being made by the NGC will be incorporated into subsequent amended Constitution of Sierra Leone. The VP and AG underscored the need for a collaborative, bipartisan approach, involving all the political parties, and civil society groups to ensure successful promulgation of parliamentary laws (of the low-hanging fruits) that are not entrenched clauses in the constitution.
