The main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) has accused the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) President Julius Maada Bio led administration of provoking constitutional crisis in the country.
The opposition made the statement in press release issued Wednesday 6 September 2023, in which the APC party described government’s proposal as a purported constitutional review process.
The APC party said the proposal is “a deliberate and callous attempt by the Bio regime to subvert the peace and security of the state”, which the opposition party takes grave exception and urged government to stop the process immediately.
Without official consultation as a government in waiting, the APC national secretariat informs the attention of the party was drawn to a purported constitutional review process of the 1991 constitution of Sierra Leone by the Bio led administration.
Though the process is key in the strengthening of Sierra Leone’s democracy, the opposition APC has however expressed doubts and questioned the process considering the polarity of the country’s political climate.
Speaking during government’s weekly news conference hosted by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education, at the conference hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Corporation, the Solicitor General, Robert Kowa Esq, disclosed that the review of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone is on course. Lawyer Kowa recalled that after the signing of the Lomeh Peace Accord in 1999 and in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, constitutional review formed part of both documents’ recommendations.
He said President Bio established a constitutional review committee which brought out the white paper report in December 2021, adding that the process will emancipate the country from plethora of constitutional abnormalities and ambiguities which have the propensity for causing mayhem if not tackled now through the present constitutional review process.
The Solicitor General furthered that the legal reform process is ongoing, which he referred to as a bold steps taken in recent times.
With the enactment of laws that ratify most concerns in the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, like the abolition of the death penalty and the expulsion of the criminal libel law, he said are pointed to the government commitment to the review process.