Sierra Leone’s enduring governance challenges—two-party dominance, politicised development, elite resource capture, and systemic corruption—demand more than isolated policy changes. They require a coordinated reform agenda that empowers citizens, strengthens institutions, and dismantles entrenched patronage systems. The roadmap below combines expert recommendations with emerging grassroots initiatives to chart a sustainable and inclusive future.
- Electoral Reform & Political Pluralism
• Strengthen fairness and transparency: Empower an independent National Electoral Commission with legal safeguards, professional capacity, and secure, non-partisan funding to oversee credible, peaceful elections.
• Adopt proportional representation: Replace the winner-takes-all model with proportional representation to reduce polarisation, foster coalition-building, and give smaller parties and independents a realistic chance in parliament.
• Lower barriers to political entry: Reform electoral laws to eliminate excessive fees, bureaucratic hurdles, and discriminatory rules that disadvantage emerging parties and independents. - Robust Anti-Corruption Framework
• Fully implement the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS): Prioritise enforcement, prevention, and public engagement through Integrity Management Committees and community monitoring.
• Enhance accountability: Require regular public asset declarations for senior officials, coupled with independent audits of ministries, local councils, and state-owned enterprises.
• Embed transparency in development: Mandate open procurement processes, citizen oversight, and real-time expenditure tracking for all public projects. - Decentralisation with Safeguards
• Strengthen local governance: Expand fiscal and administrative powers of local councils alongside transparent elections, citizen budget monitoring, and inclusive participation.
• Prevent local elite capture: Introduce community oversight boards and rotate leadership in key positions to avoid entrenched power structures.
• Boost civic literacy: Pair decentralisation with nationwide public education on rights, duties, and decision-making processes. - Youth & Civil Society Leadership
• Support youth-driven change: Build on movements like LCOY Sierra Leone to channel grassroots energy into climate action, governance reform, and policy debates.
• Invest in civic skills: Provide training in research, advocacy, negotiation, and peaceful mobilisation, supported by intergenerational mentorship networks.
• Fund social innovation: Offer micro-grants and technical support for youth- and women-led initiatives tackling corruption, education, and local development. - Sustained Public Engagement & Vigilance
• Institutionalise civic participation: Create participatory budgeting, anonymous feedback systems, and community scorecards to assess public services.
• Strengthen independent media: Support investigative journalism and fact-checking to counter misinformation and promote issue-based politics.
• Foster a monitoring culture: Track reform progress through publicly shared scoreboards and regular policy reviews accessible to all citizens.
Institutional Safeguards Against Bias
• Protect oversight bodies: Insulate electoral, anti-corruption, and procurement agencies from political interference through transparent appointments and constitutionally guaranteed funding.
• Enable joint monitoring: Involve civil society, academia, and international partners in ongoing audits of elections, procurement, and service delivery.
• Mandate diversity: Require gender, youth, and regional representation in reform oversight committees to ensure legitimacy and inclusivity.
Conclusion
Breaking Sierra Leone’s cycle of two-party dominance and systemic corruption demands an integrated reform program—anchored in fair elections, transparent governance, decentralised empowerment, and active citizen oversight. By institutionalising pluralism, protecting watchdog institutions, and amplifying grassroots voices, Sierra Leone can move from a politics of exclusion to a democracy that delivers development for all.@Tab
