SLPP-APC DIVISION DEEPENS OVER PROPOSED PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION THRESHOLD
By Desmond Isaac Macauley
The Constitution of Sierra Leone Amendment Bill,2025, that is been debated by lawmakers in Parliament remain divided over several proposed electoral and constitutional reforms.
One of the major areas of disagreement is the proposal to reduce the presidential election threshold from the current 55 percent to a simple majority of 50 percent plus one vote.The opposition All People’s Congress (APC )has maintained its position that the existing 55 percent requirement should remain unchanged.
Lawmakers are also yet to reach consensus on the proposed shift to a Proportional Representation electoral system and the procedure for appointing members of the Search and Nominations Committee for the Electoral Commission. These issues have continued to generate heated exchanges during parliamentary proceedings.
Meanwhile, Parliament has expunged a clause that would have permitted independent candidates to contest presidential elections, adding another significant development to the ongoing constitutional reform process.Other major structural and electoral provisions remain heavily contested between lawmakers.
It could be recalled that Parliament has been locked in intense debates over the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025, amid deep divisions between ruling SLPP and opposition APC MPs.
The reform process, which draws largely from recommendations of the Tripartite Committee established following the disputed 2023 elections, continues to attract strong public and political debate both inside and outside Parliament.
