The Parliament of Sierra Leone is set to be formally empowered to remove a Vice President under proposed amendments to Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution, as part of wide-ranging constitutional reforms currently undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny.

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice disclosed the proposal while making a presentation before Members of Parliament, explaining that the amendment is intended to address long-standing constitutional ambiguities surrounding the removal of a Vice President.

According to the Attorney General, the proposed provision was informed by past legal and political disputes, particularly the case involving former Vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana. In that case, the former Vice President was removed from office after being expelled from the All People’s Congress (APC), the political party under which he was elected, despite the Constitution not clearly outlining the consequences of such an expulsion.

The Attorney General told Parliament that the current Constitution does not expressly state what happens if a President or Vice President resigns from, or is expelled by, the political party that sponsored their election. While the loss of party membership may raise serious political and legitimacy concerns, he noted that the existing constitutional framework does not provide an automatic mechanism for removing such an officeholder.

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Clarifying the government’s position, the Attorney General stressed that losing membership in a political party should not, by itself, automatically create a vacancy in the offices of President or Vice President. However, he said the absence of a clear constitutional process has created governance challenges in the past. As a result, the proposed amendments seek to empower Parliament with the authority to remove a Vice President through a defined constitutional procedure.

The Attorney General said the proposed change is aimed at ensuring clarity, accountability, and stability in governance, while preventing future disputes arising from legal gaps in the Constitution.

In the same presentation, the Attorney General also addressed key electoral and citizenship reforms included in the proposed amendments. On electoral matters, he informed Parliament that Proportional Representation (PR) has been selected as the preferred electoral system following extensive consultations and recommendations.

He cited the proposed amendment to Section 74(1)(b) of the Constitution, which states that Members of Parliament shall be elected through a system of proportional representation, with the detailed mode of nomination and conduct of elections to be prescribed by or under an Act of Parliament.

On the issue of dual citizenship, the Attorney General disclosed that Section 76(1)(a) of the Constitution has been revised by removing the clause that disqualifies persons who voluntarily acquire the citizenship of another country. Under the newly proposed provision, however, a person will still not be qualified for election as a Member of Parliament if he or she is a naturalised citizen of Sierra Leone.

The Attorney General told lawmakers that the proposed constitutional amendments are intended to strengthen constitutional clarity, improve democratic accountability, and prevent future governance crises caused by unclear or inadequate legal provisions.