Sierra Leone’s main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) on Thursday rejected what it called a bid by the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) to entrench itself in power, warning that proposed electoral changes could undermine multi-party democracy and return the country to one-party rule.
In a statement, the APC condemned government plans to expand the use of proportional representation (PR), introduce an executive power-sharing system, and create new districts. It said the measures violated the 1991 Constitution and ignored recent public consultations that showed overwhelming support for the existing First Past the Post (FPTP) system.
“The attempt to permanently replace FPTP with the PR system is unconstitutional, and will be resisted,” the APC said, describing the government’s proposals as “a brazen attempt to subvert democracy.”
The opposition party accused the SLPP of manipulating recent political reforms, citing the work of the Tripartite Committee – a body set up to address tensions following disputed 2023 elections. The APC said the committee’s consultations reflected citizens’ demand for a return to the FPTP system, but the government had instead pushed forward with reforms it said lacked transparency and legitimacy.
The APC also rejected what it called a “power-sharing political system” that would allocate executive as well as parliamentary seats, describing it as a ploy to entrench one-party rule. It warned that similar experiments had led to violence in other African countries.
“The nation needs peace and stability, not a recipe for chaos,” the statement said.
The party called on civil society, religious leaders and the international community to pressure the government to abandon the reforms and to implement the Tripartite Committee’s recommendations in full. It pledged to mobilise “all lawful and peaceful means of protest” to resist what it called unconstitutional manipulations.
Sierra Leone has been politically tense since the 2023 elections, which international observers criticised for lack of transparency. The APC has since accused the government of President Julius Maada Bio of undermining electoral reforms agreed during post-election talks.
Officials from the SLPP were not immediately available for comment.
By Joan Kamara
