Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Alpha Sesay has told Parliament that the proposed Proportional Representation (PR) electoral system emerged from extensive nationwide consultations and should be viewed as part of the broader national conversation on Sierra Leone’s democratic and electoral future.
Speaking during deliberations on electoral reform proposals, Sesay stressed that the process was not solely a government initiative but a national exercise involving citizens, civil society organisations, political stakeholders and other key actors across the country.
He said the consultations included more than 10,000 public engagements nationwide, over 133 stakeholder meetings and more than 150 position papers.
The process also generated over 20,000 hours of radio and television airtime, with more than 70,000 consultation forms distributed across every district, giving citizens from diverse backgrounds the chance to share their views on governance, democracy and the electoral system.
“This was not a government exercise. It was a national one,” Sesay told lawmakers, underscoring the broad-based nature of the exercise.
The PR system, he explained, was among the key recommendations that emerged from those consultations and is now before Parliament.
The remarks come as lawmakers continue to debate electoral reforms that have drawn significant public interest. Proponents of PR argue it could widen political representation and better reflect the distribution of votes. Critics have raised concerns about its possible effects on constituency-based representation and the existing electoral framework.
Sesay urged Parliament to consider the proposals in the context of the extensive consultations that produced them, describing the recommendations as the outcome of a comprehensive national process rather than a narrow government initiative.
The debate is expected to intensify as lawmakers weigh the potential benefits and challenges of changing the electoral system. Stakeholders have called for reforms that strengthen democratic participation, promote inclusive representation and protect the constitutional order.
Attention remains focused on whether the proposed changes, including the shift to Proportional Representation, can deliver a more inclusive framework while maintaining public confidence in the electoral process.
