FREETOWN – Sierra Leone’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay, defended the government’s proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill 2025 before parliament on Tuesday, saying the reforms would modernise the country’s governance framework and strengthen democratic representation ahead of the next general elections.
Making a ministerial statement following the bill’s first reading, Sesay described the proposed legislation as a transition “from a constitution of survival to a constitution of prosperity.”
He said the 1991 Constitution was crafted to restore stability and establish multi-party democracy but that constitutional reform had been recommended for decades, beginning with the 1999 Lomé Peace Agreement and later reinforced by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission after the country’s civil war.
Sesay said the bill was largely based on two key reform processes: the 2013 Justice Edmund Cowan Constitutional Review Committee report and the recommendations of the Tripartite Committee established by the government and the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) following post-election political dialogue.
The Cowan committee’s recommendations were informed by more than 10,000 public consultations, 133 stakeholder engagements, 150 position papers and about 70,000 consultation forms distributed nationwide, he said.
Sesay added that further submissions received after the bill was gazetted were reviewed by a technical team comprising government and APC representatives. He credited Dr. Emmanuel Gaima and Dr. Kaifala Marah for their leadership during the Tripartite Committee process.
Addressing criticism over the sequencing of the reforms, Sesay rejected suggestions that introducing electoral changes first was politically motivated.
He said international bodies including the African Union, ECOWAS and the United Nations recommend that electoral laws be amended well in advance of elections to allow political parties, candidates and voters sufficient time to prepare.
Among the bill’s principal proposals is the introduction of a proportional representation electoral system, which Sesay said would broaden political participation by increasing opportunities for women, young people and minority groups.
The bill also seeks to constitutionally guarantee that women make up at least 30% of political party nominees for national and local elections, reinforcing provisions contained in the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act.
Sesay said the government intended to include all 16 recommendations contained in the Women’s Manifesto in the wider constitutional reform package.
Opposition Leader Abdul Kargbo welcomed the parliamentary debate but said the APC would carefully examine every proposed amendment to ensure it served the national interest.
He reminded lawmakers that under Section 108(2) of the Constitution, constitutional amendments require the support of at least two-thirds of parliament’s 149 members, equivalent to 100 votes.
“Our contributions will be guided by the rule of law and democratic principles,” Kargbo said.
Majority Leader Mathew Sahr Nyuma urged lawmakers to approach the debate with patriotism, saying the proposed amendments sought to strengthen governance, improve political representation and promote greater inclusion.
The Constitutional Amendment Bill will now proceed through further parliamentary debate and committee scrutiny before lawmakers vote on its adoption.
Successive governments under former Presidents Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and Ernest Bai Koroma, as well as the current administration of President Julius Maada Bio, have pursued constitutional reform. Many of the proposals originate from recommendations made by the Justice Edmund Cowan Constitutional Review Committee in 2013, while others stem from the Tripartite Committee established after Sierra Leone’s disputed 2023 elections to build political consensus on governance and electoral reforms.
Reporting by Mohammed Kamara
