Sierra Leone's Tripartite Committee Identifies 86 Issues, Agrees on 169 Recommendations

Sierra Leone's Tripartite Committee Identifies 86 Issues, Agrees on 169 Recommendations

Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh has announced that the Tripartite Committee has identified 86 issues and agreed on 169 recommendations. As the Chief Negotiator for the Agreement for National Unity, Sengeh joined APC Leader Dr. Samura Kamara on June 18, 2024, in an expanded Tripartite Committee meeting to review progress, just one day before the initial six-month mandate expired.

The Tripartite Committee was formed following Sierra Leone’s disputed 2023 elections to examine election results, certification processes, observer reports, and the Public Elections Act of 2022. 

This committee resulted from a communiqué signed between the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC), in October last year, with mediation from the international community, including the Commonwealth, African Union, and ECOWAS. The U.S. government contributed $1.5 million to support the committee’s operations.

Despite these efforts, there has been growing public and journalistic concern over the committee’s lack of communication and transparency. No media representatives have been present during its deliberations. Initially, the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) was expected to be part of the committee, but the opposition APC objected, and the ruling SLPP supported their exclusion. 

This has led to a scarcity of real-time updates on the committee’s activities, fostering public suspicion and a perception of secrecy.

In a related development, the APC announced on June 18, 2024, its decision to resume participation in the Tripartite Committee despite ongoing challenges and allegations of non-cooperation from the SLPP government and the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL).

The APC’s press release emphasized their commitment to electoral justice and democratic principles amid adversity. They criticized the ECSL for providing baseless justifications to conceal electoral malpractices and accused both the SLPP government and ECSL of failing to produce or verify disaggregated data from the June 24, 2023 elections, indicating potential discrepancies that contradict the figures announced by ECSL Chairman Mohamed Konneh.

The APC claims to have credible evidence of over-voting and other inconsistencies, suggesting the announced election results were fabricated. The party asserts that, apart from the ECSL, all involved in the June 2023 elections are aware of the fabricated nature of the results. 

The APC vows to continue seeking truth and justice, expressing determination to overcome the ECSL's perceived defiance and to work with ECOWAS and AU mediators who visited their party office.

The APC expressed gratitude for the unwavering support and patience from its supporters during this period, reaffirming its dedication to fighting for electoral justice and maintaining Sierra Leone’s democratic values. The party vows to continue striving for transparent and accountable electoral processes, ensuring that the will of the people is respected.