FREETOWN – Chiefs of the ECOWAS elections network have held talks with the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) in Freetown on reforms needed ahead of the 2028 general elections.
The delegation from the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) met the SLPP leadership at the party’s headquarters as part of a post-2023 election follow-up mission to assess the country’s preparedness for the next electoral cycle.
The engagement centered on the implementation of the 80 Tripartite Committee recommendations, which form the blueprint for electoral and governance reforms following the disputed June 2023 presidential polls.
SLPP National Chairman, Sir Jimmy Batilo Songa, who led the party’s side, said the SLPP remains committed to early and transparent preparations for 2028.
According to the party, discussions covered critical areas for 2028, including the framework for the SLPP flagbearer election, voter and delegate registration, eligibility and nomination procedures, campaign conduct, and internal complaints and appeals mechanisms.
The talks also looked at broader reforms – including political party codes of conduct, inter-party dialogue through the IPDC, national cohesion, and curbing hate speech and irresponsible political communication.
ECONEC officials said they are assessing where ECOWAS can provide technical and institutional support to strengthen internal party democracy, electoral integrity, conflict prevention, and the political participation of women and youth.
“The engagement concluded with an emphasis on lawful, transparent and peaceful political competition,” the SLPP said in a statement after the meeting.
The Tripartite Committee was established in 2023 after an agreement between the Government and the opposition APC, mediated by ECOWAS, the African Union and the Commonwealth, to review Sierra Leone’s electoral system.
Its 80 recommendations cover results management and transparency, voter registration, the roles of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) and the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC), and electoral justice.
With less than two years to the 2028 polls, ECONEC is meeting all major stakeholders – including opposition parties, ECSL, PPRC, civil society and the All Political Parties Association (APPA) – to identify gaps and support needs.
The mission comes at a time when both the SLPP and APC are under pressure to reform internal election processes and to demonstrate commitment to peaceful, credible elections.
