By Hassan Osman Kargbo
Opposition Member of Parliament, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara (AKK), has declared that Sierra Leone’s democracy has been “stalled and dismantled” under the current Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) administration. He made this statement while reacting to the latest assessment report on the country’s democratic process published by the National Commission for Democracy (NCD).
Speaking on Liberty Online TV on Wednesday 17 September 2025, Hon. Kamara said Sierra Leone’s democratic journey, once seen as a model in West Africa, has been “reduced to nothing but a shadow of itself” since the SLPP came to power in 2018.
According to the opposition MP, the NCD’s assessment has downplayed the “real crisis of governance” in the country. He accused the SLPP government of undermining the rule of law, silencing dissent, and turning state institutions into political tools. “Democracy is about participation, accountability, and transparency,” he said. “But what we have witnessed since 2018 is the opposite. We have a government that manipulates elections, intimidates opponents, and disregards the very principles of good governance.”
Hon. Kamara pointed to the 2018 and 2023 elections as examples of what he described as “rigged outcomes” orchestrated by the ruling party. He alleged that the Electoral Commission was compromised and that the democratic will of the people was subverted. “How can we talk about democracy when the votes of Sierra Leoneans are stolen in broad daylight? The SLPP has killed the confidence of our people in the ballot box,” he stressed.
He further criticized the government’s handling of political freedoms, saying opposition voices have been deliberately suppressed. “Parliament has been reduced to a rubber stamp. The SLPP uses its majority not for development, but to impose decisions without debate or consultation,” he said. “Civil society has been threatened, journalists have been harassed, and activists are living in fear. This is not democracy. This is authoritarian rule dressed up in democratic clothes.”
Hon. Kamara also accused the government of fuelling divisions in the country by politicizing national institutions. “From the police to the judiciary, everything is now tilted in favour of the ruling party,” he argued. “Justice is no longer blind in Sierra Leone. Cases against government supporters are swept under the carpet, while opposition members are quickly targeted and prosecuted.”
He described the SLPP’s leadership style as “a betrayal of the sacrifices made by Sierra Leoneans to restore democracy after years of conflict.” According to him, the hopes of citizens who fought for multiparty democracy have been dashed. “People are disillusioned, and the younger generation sees no future in this kind of political environment. Our democracy is at its dead end,” he declared.
Hon. Kamara urged the NCD to be more courageous and objective in its assessment of Sierra Leone’s democratic health. “The Commission must stop sugarcoating the truth. Sierra Leone is not progressing democratically; instead, we are sinking,” he said.
The outspoken MP concluded by calling on both local and international stakeholders to “rescue the country’s democracy before it collapses entirely.” He insisted that only strong reforms, genuine electoral accountability, and respect for the rule of law could restore Sierra Leone’s lost democratic glory.
“The SLPP has spoiled the democratic gains we achieved as a nation,” he said. “If nothing is done urgently, Sierra Leone will remain trapped in a cycle of bad governance, division, and repression.”
