On 17 July 2025, nearly 500 Sierra Leoneans—from across all 16 districts and every walk of life—gathered at the Bintumani Conference Centre to reflect, debate, and shape our democratic future.
Traditional leaders, students, civil society actors, political parties, women’s groups, and persons with disabilities all came to the table. We exchanged ideas. We agreed and disagreed. We listened. And we were reminded that democracy is not just about voting—it’s about voice, participation, and fairness.
As Minister of Information and Civic Education, I spoke about what citizens are telling us:
That they want their votes to count, even in areas where their preferred party may not dominate.
That they want a system that includes, not excludes.
That we must reduce tensions, broaden representation, and reflect the full diversity of our nation in our politics.
I noted that no system is perfect, and I acknowledged the various arguments in favor of and against the two options we were debating-the first past the post and the proportional representation systems. But I also made the civic case for a system:
That gives more Sierra Leoneans a seat and a stake
That forces parties to listen and grow
That reduces political alienation and helps build peace
And that gives us more inclusive Parliament and councils.
We believe that the PR system is best to do all this and more- save us money, reduce tensions and helps us focus on development after periodic elections.
And today was demonstration of the civic culture that H.E. President Julius Maada Bio is cultivating—a democracy that is participatory, reflective, and just.
We are building this future together.
