The Parliament of Sierra Leone has on Wednesday 27/7/2022 after a protracted debate for several weeks on the bill entitled “The Public Elections Act, 2022”, has been passed into law with some amendments.
The Bill seeks to repeal and replace the Public Elections Act, 2012 (Act No.4 of 2012), to provide for supplementary provisions to Section 32 and 33 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Act No. 6 of 1991).
Earlier, the Bill was debated intensively by MPs bringing out its importance and the need to strengthen the electoral laws of the state.
After the bill was committed to the Committee of the whole House and read page after page and clause after clause, with certain contentious on certain clauses, it was resolved amicably by the Leadership of Parliament through a dialogue engagement with the Speaker of Parliament and the Attorney General, and Minister of Justice.
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice Mohamed Lamin Trawelly Esq. piloted the Bill and it was passed with amendments
The speaker said through Leadership engagement, a resolution was reached:
1. The NIN was removed
2. The definition of the District Block System is to be defined in the Bill
3. Clause 55-c which deals with reserved seats has been removed and retained clause 59-2 which deals with women’s empowerment.
4 Why remove the reserved seat, it is because it offended the provision or section 74 in the 1991 constitution of Sierra Leone.
5. Clause 57, has also been deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following formulation “All public election other than paramount chiefs members of Parliament shall prescribe in the 1991 constitution of Sierra Leone
