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As parliamentary debate intensifies over sweeping constitutional amendments, Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas has issued a firm defence of presidential authority, urging lawmakers to prioritise institutional integrity over partisan interests.
Thomas cautioned legislators against using the amendment process to weaken the presidency based on the current administration, noting that political fortunes are temporary and any party could govern in the future.
“The Office of the President should be a very powerful office in the Republic,” Thomas stated during the parliamentary sitting on the 5th August 2026 at Tower Hill, as debate continued on the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill. “I will not sit here as Speaker and allow the position of the President to be watered down”.
The Speaker explicitly referenced the All-People’s Congress (APC), saying the party “will certainly return to power,” while also acknowledging the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) could find itself outside government in the future. He urged MPs to imagine themselves serving under a different administration when considering proposed changes.
The intervention came as lawmakers continue heated deliberations on the Bill, first published in the Gazette in December 2025, which draws from recommendations of the Tripartite Committee established after the disputed 2023 elections and the Constitutional Review Committee led by the late Justice Edmond Cowan.
Contentious provisions include reducing the presidential election threshold from 55 per cent to a simple majority with geographic spread requirements, restructuring the Electoral Commission with a Search and Nomination Committee, introducing a Proportional Representation system, and establishing a 30 per cent quota for women nominees.
With Parliament comprising 81 SLPP, 54 APC and 14 Paramount Chief members, constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority of approximately 99 votes.
The Speaker’s remarks were confirmed through parliamentary proceedings and multiple news reports covering the debate. Thomas stressed that constitutional reforms should protect the institution of the presidency for current and future leaders rather than favour any political party.
