Lawyer Sorie Sengbe Marah Urges Government to Table Tripartite Report in Parliament

Prominent rights activist and lawyer, Sorie Sengbe Marah, has called on the Sierra Leonean government to present the Tripartite Report to Parliament to ensure its legal and constitutional legitimacy.

Speaking at a two-day conference organized by the National Elections Watch (NEW) at Shangri-La Hotel, Lumley Beach, Marah emphasized the need to elevate the Tripartite Report from a political to a legal process.

Marah highlighted that the Tripartite Committee’s formation lacks constitutional grounding, unlike the legal framework governing the Audit Service’s annual reports.

He urged civil society to pressure the government to table the report in Parliament, warning that without this, the process would remain politically superficial.

He noted that many of the Tripartite Report’s recommendations align with those of the Constitutional Review Report, underscoring a duplication of efforts.

Marah stressed that constitutional reforms are necessary to implement these recommendations, expressing concern over the secrecy surrounding the ongoing constitutional review process.

He also criticized the government’s technical committee on the constitutional review, arguing that it should not replace the collective will of the people.

Marah further criticized the cross-party committee’s review of the electoral system, suggesting that it undermines the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone’s (ECSL) independence.

He argued that an audit into ECSL operations should have been conducted following allegations of discrepancies in election results.

He lamented the absence of an ECSL audit during the Tripartite Committee meetings, leaving questions about election accuracy unresolved.

Marah also questioned the ECSL’s classification of electoral information, asserting there is no legal basis for withholding such documents from public access.

In conclusion, Marah called for constitutional and legal reforms to ensure transparency and accountability in Sierra Leone’s electoral process, while addressing the issues raised in the Tripartite Report.