Newly Elected MPs to Choose Speaker of Parliament Today

13 Jul 2023 • 1 min read • 5,695 views • 3 comments

The newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs), who took Oath of Office on Wednesday will choose their Speaker and Deputy Speaker for the next five years on Thursday, 13 July 2023.

According to Subsection 2 of Section 79 of the 1991 Constitution, the decision would have to be made by a two-third majority of members of Parliament.

In essence, a two-third majority would require at least 100 of the 149 Parliamentarians to unanimously choose the next Speaker and Deputy.

Political analysts are sceptical that this Parliament could meet the requirement to select their next Speaker after the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) plan to boycott governance over disagreement of the June 24 election results with the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL).

The APC won 54 out of the 149 Parliamentary seats -a significant minority in this case that could prove detrimental if they choose to boycott the 6^th Parliament of the Second Republic.

The analysts are saying that the 85 SLPP MPs and 14 Paramount Chiefs will not be able to select a Speaker and Deputy as required by Section 79(2) of the 1991 Constitution.

Some other analysts have opined that it could be possible that a Speaker and Deputy be selected on Thursday with a decision from the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone which has the mandate to interpret the Constitution.