Power-sharing arrangements are complex and inappropriate for Sierra Leone’s current political context, the head of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) in the country said on Monday.
Dr. Idris M. Tarawallie, International IDEA’s Sierra Leone country director, said power sharing is typically used as a temporary mechanism in countries emerging from war or violent conflict, conditions he said do not apply to Sierra Leone.
“Power sharing is complex and impossible in Sierra Leone under the current circumstances,” Tarawallie said during a radio interview on Truth Media. “It happens in countries as a mechanism to end war or violent conflict, but that is not the case in Sierra Leone.”
His comments come amid ongoing national debates over governance, electoral disputes and calls from some political actors for inclusive power-sharing arrangements.
Tarawallie, a university lecturer and governance expert, said academic research and global experience show that power sharing is designed to halt violence in deeply divided societies where democratic institutions have collapsed. Applying such arrangements outside post-conflict settings, he warned, could weaken accountability and undermine democratic competition.
“Sierra Leone is not in a state of war, nor is it experiencing widespread violent conflict that threatens the existence of the state,” he said, adding that the country has constitutional and legal mechanisms for resolving political disputes.
He said institutions such as the courts, parliament, electoral bodies and dialogue platforms should be strengthened rather than replaced by extraordinary political arrangements intended for post-conflict societies.
Tarawallie also cautioned that improperly applied power-sharing agreements could entrench political elites, reduce opposition oversight and erode democratic norms, citing examples from other countries where such arrangements delayed meaningful reforms.
International IDEA is an intergovernmental organisation that supports democratic governance worldwide. In Sierra Leone, it is implementing democracy-strengthening initiatives, including the European Union-funded Sierra Leone Democracy Strengthening Project, which focuses on peaceful elections, political dialogue and institutional capacity building.
Tarawallie said Sierra Leone’s challenges should be addressed through reforms, respect for the rule of law and constructive political engagement within the existing constitutional framework.
“Democracy is sustained through accountability, dialogue and institutional strengthening, not through power sharing where it is not warranted,” he said.
