Sierra Leone’s main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) has rejected a proposed move towards proportional representation, saying the country should retain its First Past the Post electoral system.
The party has also called for the constitutional requirement that presidential candidates secure at least 55% of the vote to remain unchanged.
The positions are contained in an APC statement issued ahead of Parliament’s expected vote tomorrow on the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
The APC says it is not opposed to constitutional reform and supports several provisions in the proposed legislation.
These include a constitutional guarantee of at least 30% representation for women in political nominations.
The party also supports allowing Sierra Leoneans with dual citizenship to contest parliamentary elections and hold ministerial and other public appointments, subject to constitutional and legal requirements.
It says the existing citizenship requirements for the offices of president and vice president should, however, remain in place.
The APC says it supports retaining the First Past the Post system, under which voters elect representatives from individual constituencies.
It argues that the system maintains a direct link between MPs and the communities they represent.
The party says its position is also informed by views expressed during the constitutional consultation process and by groups including the Council of Paramount Chiefs, civil society organisations and the Inter Religious Council.
Those groups and other citizens have expressed support for constituency based representation rather than proportional representation, according to the APC.
The proposed electoral changes have become one of the most closely watched aspects of the constitutional reform process, with debate over whether Sierra Leone should retain its constituency based system or introduce proportional representation.
The APC also wants the 55% threshold for presidential elections to remain.
It argues that the requirement encourages presidential candidates to seek support beyond their traditional political, regional and ethnic strongholds.
Under the current system, if no candidate secures 55% in the first round, the leading candidates proceed to a second round.
The APC says this encourages political parties to negotiate, form alliances and seek support from voters outside their traditional bases.
It argues that this can promote national cohesion and produce a president with a broader mandate.
“Sierra Leone is a diverse country,” the party says, arguing that the constitution should encourage politicians to build bridges across political, regional and ethnic divisions.
The APC has urged MPs from both the governing Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and opposition parties to consider the views expressed by citizens during the constitutional consultation process.
It says Parliament should not disregard those views when making its final decisions.
The party argues that constitutional reform should not be treated as a choice between supporting the entire Bill or rejecting it.
“Supporting some provisions of the Bill does not require us to support every provision,” it says.
The APC says Parliament should support amendments that promote inclusion and strengthen democratic institutions, while reconsidering provisions it believes conflict with public opinion or weaken direct constituency representation.
It has also warned MPs against allowing party loyalty or short term political interests to influence decisions on the Constitution.
“This is therefore not simply an APC versus SLPP question. It is a national question,” the party says.
The APC concludes by saying the Constitution belongs to the people of Sierra Leone and not to any political party, the president, government or Parliament.
It has urged lawmakers to put the national interest ahead of partisan considerations as they prepare to vote on the proposed amendments.
“Country first. Democracy always. The people must have the final say,” the party says.
