Post a comment 
Leader of the Opposition in Sierra Leone’s Parliament, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, has cautioned that any constitutional amendment must secure the required two-thirds majority to be valid, warning that “anything less than 99.33 is less than two-thirds and cannot pass any amendment.”
Addressing Parliament as debate commenced on the Constitutional Amendment Bill today, Kargbo expressed confidence in the Speaker’s commitment to upholding the law, stating: “The opposition does not doubt the ability of Mr Speaker to follow the law, and today’s sitting is no different.”
The Opposition Leader emphasised that the APC is not opposed to constitutional reform in principle, but may object to amendments affecting specific provisions. “We are not against amending the Constitution; we may be against the amendment of certain sections of the Constitution,” he said.
The current composition of Parliament stands at 149 members: 81 from the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), 54 from the All People’s Congress (APC), and 14 Paramount Chiefs. A two-thirds majority requires approximately 99 votes—meaning that even if all 54 APC MPs and all 14 Paramount Chiefs voted together, they would have only 68 votes, insufficient to block or pass amendments without cross-party support.
The Constitutional Amendment Bill proposes sweeping changes to the country’s electoral framework, including establishing a Search and Nomination Committee to appoint Electoral Commissioners and introducing a 30 percent quota for women contesting elections. Other key provisions create a legal framework for independent presidential candidates and empower the Political Parties Regulation Commission to deregister parties that fail to win a parliamentary seat in two consecutive general elections.
The bill stems from recommendations of the Tripartite Committee established after the contested 2023 elections and the National Peace and Unity Agreement. However, opposition representatives have argued that significant recommendations were omitted and have called for broader stakeholder participation.
Kargbo previously raised concerns that several points agreed between both political parties had been changed within the bill currently before Parliament, urging the government to adhere strictly to Tripartite Recommendations.
Parliamentarians, ministers, local and foreign dignitaries, and members of the media are assembled in the Chamber awaiting proceedings. The debate and vote are expected to have significant implications for Sierra Leone’s electoral and democratic future.
