Parliament is meeting again today, Tuesday, 26th July, 2021 to continue debate on the controversial Public Public Elections Bill 2022.
Today’s Public Elections Bill scrutiny will focus on a number of clauses that was put on hold last week. Many people who have been following the debate on the said Bill opined that the Members of Parliament from the Ruling Sierra Leone People’s party (SLPP) are pushing for the passing of the Bill to their advantage and to the detriment of the opposition All People’s Congress ( APC) and other small Political Parties, whilst others believe the opposition is kicking against the
bill because its members are afraid of losing seats to the ruling SLPP.

One As it stands now, the opposition parties including the APC, NCG, C4C are vehemently opposing the PR system, as according to them, it has the proclivity to disenfranchise independent candidates but deprive constituents from electing their representatives. Also, the opposition has however kicked against the introduction of the National Identification Number (NIN), arguing that its introduction has the propensity to also disenfranchise citizens.

According to the opposition parties, the constitution states that the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone’s (ECSL’s) mandate is to register citizens that have reached the age 18 and above and of sound mind and therefore, attempting to include NIN into the e voter register is in violation of the 1991 constitution
1991 Constitution. Deputy Speaker, Hon Sengepoh Solomon Thomas informed the House that the NIN would not disenfranchise voters but that it will sanitize the voter register.

This Public Elections Bill has so far stagnated Parliament in such a way that it is only concentrated on the passing of the Bill, abandoning the rest of parliamentary activities.

The eyes of citizens at home and -abroad are currently fixed on the ongoing debate whilst the country’s donor partners are reportedly monitoring the Parliament as the drama continues. During the last debate, the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Dr. Abass C. Bundu said in his submission that under his watch, he will not allow the 1991 Constitution to be breached, but unequivocally spoke about the two ways of electing representatives to Parliament.