Sierra Leone has implemented 84% of recommendations from a tripartite review of its electoral system, the body overseeing the reforms said on Thursday, describing the work as key to strengthening democratic governance and political cohesion.
The Tripartite Steering Committee Secretariat (TSCS) presented the figures at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister David Sengeh in Freetown. The assessment covered reforms by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), the Office of National Security, the Attorney-General’s Office and other state agencies.
“The meeting is discursive,” Sengeh told participants, according to notes shared after the session. “We track the implementation of the 80 recommendations, analyse the work of the technical committees, and determine next steps in building our democracy and strengthening our governance architecture.”
The steering committee, led by the Chief Minister, brings together senior officials, mayors of major cities, paramount chiefs, lawmakers from both the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party and the opposition All People’s Congress, professional associations and civil society groups. It was created to oversee reforms pledged by President Julius Maada Bio in the 2023 Unity Agreement, which sought to ease tensions after disputed national elections.
Sengeh said the government was committed to carrying out every resolution in the accord. He noted that authorities had pardoned 37 detainees and paid salaries owed to opposition legislators and councillors who initially boycotted their seats after last year’s vote.
The meeting heard that ECSL has begun drafting rules to regulate consultations and voter registration and hired a consultant to improve its results-management system. Attorney-General Alpha Sesay reported progress on constitutional changes recommended by the review, none of which require a referendum.
The Public Sector Reform Unit has also completed management reviews of the state broadcaster SLBC, the Independent Media Commission, the PPRC and the Independent Police Complaints Board, and plans to develop an implementation matrix for its findings, said director Foray Musa.
Information Minister Chernor Bah warned against “injurious disinformation” on social media about the tripartite process, calling it “anti-democratic and offensive to public stability”. He said his ministry would continue public outreach to explain the reforms and gather citizen feedback.
Committee members, including the mayors of Freetown and Makeni, raised concerns about how political parties will be involved in selecting the chair and commissioners of the electoral commission. They also requested that future meetings run longer and that reading materials be circulated in advance.
The tripartite process was launched to modernise Sierra Leone’s electoral governance after international and domestic observers urged reforms to improve transparency and public trust. A date for completing the remaining recommendations has not been announced.
