The Chief Minister, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, has updated development partners on the progress of the Tripartite process, emphasizing government’s commitment to constitutional order, political inclusiveness, and democratic governance on 18th December 2025.
Speaking during a high-level engagement with development partners at State House on 18 December 2025, the Chief Minister underscored that the Tripartite process reflects the government’s principled approach to democracy, grounded in consultation with political actors and collaboration with development partners.
“This government places importance on constitutional order. Its democratic credentials are based on consulting with political actors in the administration of the state and partnering with development partners to build and strengthen our democracy. My admiration for the Tripartite lies in the visible participation of political players, including the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC), in the process,” the Chief Minister stated.
Dr. Sengeh highlighted several engagements with opposition actors, including meetings with the APC Chief Negotiator, female Members of Parliament, and consultations held by the Tripartite Secretariat and the Attorney-General with senior APC officials.
“This is political participation; this is political inclusiveness. This reflects the level of collaboration and transparency guiding the Tripartite process,” he added.
The Chief Minister noted that these engagements were deliberate and productive, resulting in the sharing of key documents related to the implementation of Tripartite recommendations. He further explained that, at the Steering Committee level, a new working modality had been adopted, involving the advance distribution of reading materials and extended meeting durations to enhance effectiveness.
The meeting brought together development partners, including the United Nations Resident Coordinator, ECOWAS Resident Coordinator, the European Union, and ambassadors or representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Ireland.
Discussions reflected a strong spirit of partnership around the Tripartite process, which development partners continue to monitor and financially support. The partners sought clarification on the status of implementation of the recommendations, the operations of the Tripartite Secretariat and Steering Committee, and specific issues such as voter registration and the results management system. It was noted that UNDP has engaged two international consultants to advise on these electoral systems on behalf of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL).
Development partners also inquired about Recommendation 36, which calls for the establishment of a Search and Nominating Committee for the appointment of the Chairman and Commissioners of ECSL.
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, who also coordinates the Tripartite Secretariat, addressed the technical questions, while the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Chief Minister provided insights into the operations of the Steering Committee.
According to the Attorney-General, election-related legislation arising from the Tripartite and Constitutional Review processes has been drafted and consolidated into a bill currently with the Government Printer for gazetting. Once gazetted, the bill will be tabled in Parliament.
On Recommendation 36, the Attorney-General disclosed that the President has deliberately refrained from exercising his constitutional authority to appoint a new ECSL Chairman and Commissioners under the existing law, allowing an Acting Chairman to serve for over seven months.
“The President is awaiting the passage of the new law, which will reach Parliament after the gazetting process,” Alpha Sesay explained.
Ngolo Katta briefed the meeting on the nationwide popularization of the 80 Tripartite recommendations across all 16 districts, noting strong participation, particularly from political parties, whose attendance exceeded initial projections.
He further explained that the terminology used to describe the status of implementation had been revised to not started, ongoing, and partially completed. For instance, the bill on election-related legislation is classified as partially completed, pending presidential assent.
He also disclosed that Management and Functional Review (MFR) reports for the PPRC, SLBC, IMC, and IPCB would be presented to the Chief Minister on Friday, adding that recommendations requiring MFR studies would remain partially completed until full implementation begins.
Providing additional insight, Kinnie Lamin, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Chief Minister, announced that the final Steering Committee meeting for the quarter would be held in the first week of January 2026, following the circulation of all required briefing materials to members.
Development partners expressed satisfaction with the level of progress achieved, particularly noting that implementation is ahead of schedule. Discussions also included the funding framework for 2026, reinforcing continued international support for the Tripartite process.