Sierra Leone Telegraph: 10 August 2026: No one said that today, 10th August 2026, was going to be a normal day for the people of Sierra Leone, as members of parliament met to discuss and vote on whether to accept the government’s proposed Constitution Amendment Bill 2025. There was going to be lots of drama, starting this morning when the APC MP – Abdul Kargbo who sits in parliament as the Leader of the Minority Parties, sounded an alarm on social media, that the police were preventing executive members of his APC party from entering parliament. “I have informed the police officers preventing our party executives from entering the Well of Parliament, while allowing SLPP executives access, that if our stakeholders are denied entry, not a single opposition MP will enter the Well.” That alarm had set the scene for what was to come in parliament, as both the ruling...

Sylvester Sheku Suaray: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 10 August 2026: Sierra Leone’s Parliament was plunged into one of its most consequential constitutional confrontations in years on Monday, August 10, as opposition lawmakers walked out of the chamber after the Speaker ruled that Parliament could decide individual provisions of a constitutional amendment bill by simple majority during the committee stage. The immediate dispute was procedural. The deeper argument was about who has the authority to change the rules of Sierra Leone’s democracy, and at what point the Constitution’s unusually demanding safeguards must begin to operate. The test centred on a proposal to establish a Search and Nomination Committee for Electoral Commissioners. The opposition APC supported the establishment of the proposed committee. Its insistence on a vote was intended to establish a broader constitutional principle: whether Parliament, when considering a bill to alter the Constitution, must apply the Constitution’s two-thirds safeguard to substantive decisions...

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 9 August 2026: As the people of Sierra Leone brace themselves for what is to come from parliament tomorrow Monday 10th August 2026, after members of parliament would have further debated and voted on the proposed new constitution, the president was on national television this morning explaining why the constitutional changes are necessary, and why members of parliament from across the political divide must vote for the amendment. “The Bill introduces proportional representation to broaden participation and give women, young people, professionals, and minority groups a fairer opportunity to be represented in the corridors of power,” President Bio said. Responding to the majority of Sierra Leoneans that are sceptical about the proposed changes to the constitution, and regard it simply as a ploy by president Bio and his ruling SLP party to hang on to power, President Bio said: “Some may ask: Why now? Why focus on...

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 9 August 2026: Sierra Leone’s main opposition All Peoples Congress Party (APC) has this evening responded to president Bio’s appeal to all political parties to support the proposed constitutional amendments that will be voted on in parliament tomorrow, 10th August 2026, including a move away from the current First-Past-The-Post electoral system. The Bill has divided Siera Leone, and the opposition APC is making itself clear as to where it stands on the vote tomorrow. This is the press statement published this evening by the APC party:   Related Source link

Basita Michael: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 9 August 2026: Looking at the drama surrounding the proposed constitutional amendments, one would think we were living in the days of George Washington, surrounded by political leaders so restrained by constitutional principle that the Constitution itself was in no danger from those entrusted with power. On one side, the Opposition is calling for prayer and fasting. On the other, President Julius Maada Bio reminds us that “the Constitution is not the property of one government, one institution, or one group.” The President also asks: “Why now? Why focus on electoral reforms?” His answer is that elections are approaching and that if we delay, we risk conducting another election under rules which Government, Opposition, civil society, citizens and election observers have all recognised as requiring reform. That reasoning, standing alone, is perfectly understandable. But it raises the question: Where was this urgency about constitutionalism when...

Albert David KAMARA: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 8 August 2026: In the well‑lit chamber of Sierra Leone’s Parliament yesterday, Friday 7th August 2026, President Julius Maada Bio delivered a speech that, on paper, radiated optimism, stability, and national progress. The speech that echoed through empty stomachs. Parliament heard a speech; the people heard a lie. Economic miracles on paper, misery in every household. Outside those polished parliamentary floors, in the markets, the ghettos, the villages, towns and cities, the cramped households, the broken roads, the suffocating transport hubs, Sierra Leoneans felt something entirely different. They felt hunger. They felt inflation. They felt betrayal. The President’s words soared, but the nation’s reality remained brutally grounded. Bio spoke of growth, stability, and inflation control. Yet Sierra Leoneans continue to live in one of the most economically suffocating periods in the country’s history. The World Food Programme’s recent hunger assessment paints a devastating picture:...

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 8 August 2026: The ECOWAS Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming West Africa into a competitive automotive manufacturing hub by convening the ECOWAS Regional Automotive Industry Development Forum in Abuja, Nigeria, to accelerate the implementation of the ECOWAS Regional Automotive Policy Framework and unlock the region’s vast industrial potential. Despite the adoption of the Regional Automotive Policy Framework more than a decade ago, implementation has remained uneven across Member States. According to the ECOWAS Commission, only Nigeria, and to a lesser extent Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, have recorded measurable progress in implementing the policy. The region currently has seven vehicle assembly plants operating at the Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) level, with a combined installed production capacity exceeding 100,000 vehicles annually. However, actual production remains below 10,000 units per year, representing a capacity utilisation rate of less than 10 percent. At the same time, West Africa continues...

John Baimba Sesay: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 5 August 2026: Today, Wednesday, 5 August, accompanying my boss the Mayor of Freetown, I spent the entire day in Sierra Leone’s Parliament as a citizen, following the debate on the government’s proposed amendments to the 1991 multiparty Constitution. It was an important reminder that Parliament is not merely a lawmaking institution, but the guardian of democratic legitimacy. I commend the leadership of both sides of the House, as well as the Attorney General, for fostering an open and frank debate on a matter of such national significance. Observing the proceedings reinforced the vital responsibility of parliamentarians: to ensure that the laws they enact or amend reflect the will of the people and strengthen participatory democracy. In recent days, I have heard arguments that the high cost of conducting presidential re-runs and by-elections justifies a shift towards proportional representation in Sierra Leone. While I...

Albert David KAMARA: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 5 August 2026: The Attorney General and Minister of Justice Alpha Sesay’s recent proposal in parliament to impose heavy restrictions on dual‑citizen Sierra Leoneans seeking parliamentary office, 24 months of physical residency, years of NASSIT contributions, five years of tax payments, and a “citizen‑by‑birth only” clause, demands more than casual debate. It demands constitutional honesty, national introspection, and a sober recognition of the contradictions we are manufacturing in broad daylight. Because Sierra Leone cannot continue opening its hands to receive from the diaspora while tightening its fists to reject their voices. That is not national security. That is national self‑harm. The Sierra Leone Constitution establishes citizenship as the bedrock of political participation. Once citizenship is confirmed, any additional restrictions must satisfy three constitutional tests: Necessity, Proportionality, and Non-discrimination. The Attorney General’s proposal fails all three. A 24‑month minimum residency requirement is not a constitutional...

Abdulai Mansaray: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 6 August 2026: In general terms, many see the constitution of any given country as the cornerstone of law, liberty and governance that should guide generations with enduring wisdom. If this premise is anything to go by, it means that the wisdom with which our constitution has been written should endure the test of times. To suggest that the constitution should endure the test of times does not naturally mean that it’s impregnable or not malleable. While constitutions are subject to amendments, thanks to the changing fortunes of the times, it is imperative that they remain so honest that they always pass the truth test. As one of the most important guardrails of our society, the constitution of Sierra Leone should be seen and treated as a testament to our enduring principles that have guided and shaped our quest for liberty, justice and democracy. Therefore,...