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Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden has warned that a proposed constitutional amendment to introduce a “simple majority” requirement for presidential elections could give the governing Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) a long-term political advantage and make it difficult for the party to lose control of State House.
In a national address, Blyden argued that the proposal currently before Parliament would effectively replace the 50%+1 threshold with a simple-majority system, potentially allowing a presidential candidate to win with a significantly lower share of the national vote.
She maintained that, depending on how votes are distributed among competing candidates, a candidate could emerge president with a percentage as low as 37%.
Blyden said the proposed change could have serious implications for Sierra Leone’s political future, particularly if it becomes law in its current form. She warned that the SLPP could benefit from the new electoral arrangement and retain control of the presidency for an extended period.
Her remarks came amid public debate over the proposed presidential electoral threshold, with Blyden also challenging claims that the existing 50%+1 requirement would remain unchanged.
She appealed particularly to Members of Parliament elected under the All People’s Congress (APC) ticket to carefully consider the consequences of their votes before supporting the proposed amendment.
Blyden further linked the current debate to Sierra Leone’s constitutional history, recalling safeguards contained in the 1961 Constitution and arguing that major constitutional changes were historically subjected to additional checks.
She also referenced former Presidents Siaka Stevens and Joseph Saidu Momoh, noting the introduction and use of referenda as a requirement for major constitutional changes or critical amendments.
Beyond the presidential threshold, Blyden advocated greater representation for women in Parliament, proposing mechanisms she said could enable women to occupy up to 30 percent of parliamentary seats through designated “safe seats” and blind-ballot arrangements.
Blyden’s central warning, however, was that changing the presidential electoral requirement from 50%+1 to a simple majority could fundamentally reshape Sierra Leone’s political landscape.
She urged lawmakers and the public to scrutinise the proposed amendment carefully, warning that its passage in its current form could strengthen the SLPP’s hold on State House and make a future change of government considerably more difficult.
