January 14, 2022
By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
President Rtd Brigadier Julius Maada Bio has on the 13th January 2022 officially launched the White Paper on the Constitutional Review process at State House.
Delivering his speech before officially launching the constitutional review white paper, President Bio said that he made a promise in this regard that he has delivered.
He recalled the anger and brutality of a 10year civil war and a truth and reconciliation report of 2004 that among other things recommended for the constitutional review. He said reforms are in the best interest of the country.
President Bio stated that over 1year and some months he has worked with parliament, the Judiciary, development partners and civil society organizations to implement half of dozens of the key governance and legislative imperatives outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation Report.
The president further stated that his government has repealed part 5 () of the Public Order Act, stating that there is no journalists in prison for the practice of journalism. The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) and international media and free speech organization have been consistent that free speech and practice of journalism are indeed unfettered in Sierra Leone.
He continued that he his government has established the Independent Commission for peace and national cohesion to identify and resolve potential triggers of conflict in the nation. According to the peace global index Sierra Leone is the 4th most peaceful country in Africa, President Bio stated.
He described Sierra Leone as a tolerant nation that will soon be the latest member of the International Religious Freedom of Belief alliance, a global alliance that promotes universal respect for freedom of religion. He also said that his government has permanently abolished the inhumane death penalty for all crimes, stating that in the New Year’s pardon he commuted and ordered all death penalty to life imprisonment.
He said never again will we execute our own brother and sisters. He disclosed that his government has decongested prisons and improved prison conditions and significantly expanded access to justice and will continue to do more.
He pointed out that as a government they have established a stand-alone Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs and introduced policies and laws to protect and promote the rights of children and women.
President Bio added that a Gender empowerment and equality law has been laid in parliament and a review of the Child Rights Act is ongoing.
He added that social safety for persons with disability, mental health care, improving healthcare and free quality education for children have all been at the center of his agenda to invest in an inclusive and sustainable future for the nation.
He made mention of the gains made in the fight against corruption, institutional and governance reforms and overall commitment and success in ruling justly and investing in people.
President indicated that the launch of the white paper was a demonstration of addressing gaps in the 1991 constitution as TRC captured discrepancies and inconsistencies.
He made reference to 2018 that witnessed unconstitutional intrusion on matters of the rule of law and compromise of protection and promotion of rights and liberties guaranteed in the constitution, executive privileges and powers were loosely define and abused, inclusion and intrusion were not guaranteed in the law not to mention in practice.
President Julius Maada Bio said that they were significant gaps in essential elements of a thriving democracy access to fundamental rights, protections, justice, resources and opportunities. He said matters of citizenship were not clearly defined and form the basis for exclusion and discrimination.
He went on that in the new direction manifesto they bemoaned the countless breaches, infractions and abuses (of our national constitution) by president Koroma and his All peoples Congress including the sacking of an elected Vice-president of our nation.
“We promised to remedy the weakness shortcomings and other lacunae that manifest themselves in the course of application of the terms of the constitution by way of specific amendments of its relevant parts in order to give efficacy to the promotion and protection of good governance and respect for the rule of law at all times,”
He reassured that his government accepts a completely new chapter should be dedicated to clearly defining citizenship and addressing all questions of discriminations and exclusion once and for all.
On elections, the president said government accepts the recommendations for fixed and predictable dates for elections and inaugurations. Further, a fifty percent plus one threshold is proposed in view of the circumstances, insecurity and expenses associated with run-offs.
He continued that in other instances sections of the constitutions will be renamed for instance the recommendation to renames chapter 111 of the 1991 constitution to be read the recognition, protection and promotion of human rights and freedoms of the individuals in line with its international obligations in safe guarding and promoting human rights of its citizenry is accepted
The president thanked the technical committees, stakeholders and citizens’ development partners and everyone who have contributed to making history today on the launch of the white paper.
Other speakers at this event delivered brief statements on the launching of the white paper. The Honorable Chief Justice Babatunde Edwards said the Governments white paper on the constitutional review process by his excellency the president stroll down memory lane through the gruesome 11 years of rebel war from 1991 and ended 18th January 2002 leading to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission established as part of the broader transitional mechanism to restore peace and stability to a ravaged country.
He said the TRC came up with several recommendations touching and concerning constitutional review. He described Sierra Leone as unified around clear constitutional rights, values and principles, with a promising future. He alluded to the late president Dr. Ahmed Tejan Kabba of blessed memory whose contribution to the process set up the Dr. Peter Tucker Constitutional Review Commission in 2006.