By: Fayia Jr. Moseray
Nearly a week after the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) concluded its nationwide National Delegates Conference resulting in the democratic election of new national executives led by National Chairman Jimmy Batillo Songa the process has been widely applauded for its transparency, fairness, and credibility.
The peaceful conduct of the SLPP’s 14th National Delegates Conference, held on July 30–31, 2025, at the prestigious Bintumani International Conference Centre in Aberdeen, Freetown, has drawn praise from party loyalists, civil society organizations, democratic observers, and the general public.
Among those praising the outcome is the Campaign for Good Governance (CGG), a prominent non-governmental organization in Sierra Leone. In a press release dated Monday, August 4, 2025, CGG commended the SLPP for its democratic conduct but expressed serious concern over the party’s failure to meet the legally mandated 30% women’s quota in its newly elected executive.
According to the release, the election results do not reflect the core provisions of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act, a landmark law passed under the current SLPP administration that mandates a minimum 30% representation of women in political leadership and decision-making roles.
CGG emphasized that despite the passage of progressive gender equality legislation, political parties including both the SLPP and the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) have consistently failed to comply with the quota, thus undermining the goals of gender inclusivity and empowerment in Sierra Leone.
Citing Part IX, Section 42 of the amended Political Parties Act, the organization noted that political parties are required to ensure at least 30% female representation in executive positions from the ward to national levels. The current SLPP executive falls short of this requirement, CGG pointed out.
“The limited number of executive positions held by women represents a significant setback not only to the Political Parties Act but also to the Public Elections Act and the GEWE Act,” the CGG release stated.
The Executive Director of CGG called on the leadership of all political parties to revise their internal constitutions and practices to reflect and enforce the 30% quota for women. She further urged the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) to move beyond symbolic oversight and ensure full legal compliance with gender equality laws during internal party elections.
“The GEWE Act is not aspirational it is the law,” the release emphasized. “If we cannot enforce this law within political parties, how can we expect to implement it across broader governance structures?”
The CGG also called for closer collaboration between the PPRC and all registered political parties to ensure the full implementation of the quota, enabling Sierra Leonean women to occupy key leadership positions across the country’s political landscape.
Meanwhile, many Sierra Leoneans, civil rights advocates, and citizens both at home and abroad have praised the peaceful and democratic nature of the SLPP’s delegates conference. There have also been growing calls for other political parties to emulate the SLPP’s example in upholding internal democratic practices.