References: Constitution of Sierra Leone, Section 31 The Electoral Laws Act, Section 4

Peer Review Comments: The constitution does guarantee equal adult suffrage to all citizens, but Sierra Leone's electoral process, while generally seen as being free and fair, is hardly perfect. Common voting irregularities include underage voting and possible double-voting. Similar observations are made in a BBC News article from May 2002 (BBC News, [ LINK ]).

References: The constitution of Sierra Leone Section 43 states that the presidential elections takes place at the end of the president's term ,which according to Section 46 of the Constitution is 5 years. The constitution also calls for parliamentary elections every fifth year.

References: Macksood Sesay, Voter Education Officer, National Electoral Commission, September 1, 2007 Valnora Edwin, Coordinator, Campaign for Good Governance, September 5, 2007

Peer Review Comments: In practice, adult citizens can vote, but they are required to register first. The National Electoral Commission, the commission established in accordance with the constitution of Sierra Leone, is responsible for conducting all public elections in Sierra Leone. The functions vested in it by the 1991 constitution include the conduct of all public elections and referenda, the registration of voters, the demarcation of constituencies with the approval of Parliament, and establishing regulations for the efficient performance of its functions (NEC Strategic Plan, [ LINK ]). Registered voters should return to the place where they registered to vote unless they have transferred their votes ([ LINK ]). Under Sierra Leone's electoral laws, a person who has not registered to vote is not eligible to be voted for.

References: Statement from NEC Chairperson to the Media, New Citizen Newspaper, September 18, 2007, p2, cites instances of ballot box stuffing in the presidential run-off elections held on September 8, 2007.

Peer Review Comments: Overall, ballots are secret or equivalently protected. And the National Electoral Commission administration under Christiana Thorpe did a good job of putting in place verification processes, which effectively discovered counterfeit result forms sent to NEC from polling stations throughout the country. Previous NEC administrations condoned fraud and malpractice in the Sierra Leonean electoral system.

References: Valnora Edwin, Coordinator, Campaign for Good Governance, Freetown, September 5, 2007 Ensah Bockarie, September 4, 2007

Peer Review Comments: The date for the recently concluded 2007 elections was pushed from July to Aug. 11, 2007.

References: Section 35 of the constitution of Sierra Leone

Peer Review Comments: Chapter IV, Section 35, "Registration and Conduct of Political Parties," of the Sierra Leonean Constitution guarantees citizens' right to form political parties, provided membership or leadership of the party is not restricted to members of any particular tribal or ethnic group or religious faith ([ LINK ]).

References: Section 73-78 of the Constitution disqualifies illiterates (in English) from being members of parliament, and Section 41 states that those who are not eligible to be members of parliament are ineligible to become president.

References: Interview with Valnora Edwin, Coordinator, Campaign for Good Governance, September 5, 2007 Interview with Macksood Sesay, Voter Education Officer, National Electoral Commissioon, September 1, 2007, Freetown

References: Interview with Ensa Bockarie, Civil Society Movement, September 4, 2007, Freetown Interview with Macksood, Voter Education Officer, National Electoral Commission, September 1, 2007

Peer Review Comments: In practice, all citizens can run for political office, irrespective of gender. But the fact remains that women are underrepresented in public office. In recent years, however, the 50/50 Group in Sierra Leone, "a group formed to seek an equal share of power between the sexes in the country's political system, which has been dominated by men for more than 40 years" (World Press Review, [ LINK ]), has doubled its efforts to encourage women to participate in the country's democratic dispensation.

References: Interview with Kemoh Sesay, APC member of Parliament, Freetown, August 20, 2007

Peer Review Comments: Because Sierra Leone is a constitutional republic with a directly elected president and one parliamentary chamber (unicameral legislature), parliamentary opposition is a feature of normal political life, a system inherited from the British form of parliamentary politics. Therefore, an opposition party is represented in Sierra Leone's legislature, with the right to oppose the government, criticize it, and seek to replace it. The ousted Sierra Leone People's Party, for instance, thought the people of Sierra Leone had placed a final judgment on the All People's Congress because of its dismal record of 24 years of misrule and blatant brutality (from 1968 to 1992), which would affect the fortunes of the APC candidate in 2007. Evidently, the APC got a second chance because of its contributions to Sierra Leone's democracy over the past 10 years as the leading opposition party in Parliament (World Press Review, [ LINK ]).