Judgement Day For Public Election Act 2022
Today, Tuesday 12th July 2022 will be the judgment day for Members of Parliament (MPs) to accept or reject the Public Elections Act, 2022 which was presented to Parliament by the Attorney-General and Min ister of Justice with some initial defects.
It could be recalled that Par liament is bitterly divided over some of the provisions of this law and some MPs hold starkly different views on recommendations such as safe seats for women, proportional representation, and allowing dual citizens to be eligible to qualify to run as MPs among several issues. Against this back drop, the main opposition APC has
questioned not only the legitimacy tion of the proposed legislation but the acc process in which the Minister of sag I Justice failed to follow gazetting is f publication rules. As since, Parliament has lurked in gridlock as or to how to go about firstly making amendments through constitutional instruments and eventually accepting or rejecting the passage of of this law.
This stalemate is further compounded by the fact that if the bill is to be accepted or rejected in Parliament it will asking take the votes of ninety-eight law-a makers, a number which nor the APC, nor SLPP have to attain a two-thirds majority provided for by the laws of Sierra Leone.
No matter what the outcome, one certain thing is the fact that the passage of this bill is engulfed in an atmosphere of uncertainty and legislative filibustering.