The Executive Director of Campaign for Good Governance (CGG), Marcella Samba-Sesay, has said that Sierra Leone should retain the 55 % votes for a Presidential candidate to be declared winner as enshrined in the 1991 constitution, rather than the 50 percent plus one vote proposed in theGovernment’s White Paper.
She made this statement on Monday while commenting on the Government White Paper which was released on Thursday January 13, 2022.
According to theWhite Paper, the Government believes that the 55% threshold set for a presidential candidate to be elected has resulted in unnecessary second election with great cost to the economy, peace and security of the nation.
In that regard, therefore the Government proposed that a threshold of more than fifty percent of the valid votes cast should suffice for a candidate to be elected President. Therefore, section 42(2) of the 1991 Constitution should be amended accordingly.
Samba Sesay added that the 55 percent for a Presidential winner is good for our democracy,adding that with the 55 percent it would show true representation of the entire country and true democracy because it allows more people to accept the elected President.
She also cited authorities should be aware that the 1991 constitution is a response to eleven years civil conflict,adding that it was part of theconflict resolutionprocess.
“One of the causes of the civil conflict was attributedto exclusion of a particular segment of society from mainstream governance system,where they were unable to participate effectively in governance processes,” Samba-Sesay said.
She added that if Sierra Leone wants to continue building on its democratic structures, she needs through retrospection to institute genuine, forward looking and progressive reforms.
“So, therefore it has to be a holistic process. Electoral laws should be such as to constitute democratic tendency to the needs of the people,” she said.
She mentioned that the entire constitutional review process is centred on how power is being used in a democracy, adding that unfortunately, in Sierra Leone’s recent democracy the way supreme executive ascribe power is not good for our democracy which has made power to become toxic and retaliatory.
He highlighted that the constitutional review process is good for democratic structure, because it strengthensthe democratic culture.
“The Democracy of Sierra Leone would only be enriched if only the constitution is also enriched.Electoral process would only be meaningful if those that are conducting the election participate in accordance with the rules,” she said.
By George M.O. Williams