MP Mohamed Bangura Defends PR System, Calls for Lower Electoral Threshold in Parliament

Parliamentarian Mohamed Bangura has called on fellow lawmakers to lower the proposed electoral threshold under the Proportional Representation (PR) system, warning that the current 11.9 to 12 per cent benchmark is too high and risks excluding smaller political parties from meaningful participation.

Speaking during deliberations on the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2025, the Karene District MP strongly defended the adoption of the PR system while advocating for adjustments that would make it more inclusive and representative.

Bangura stressed that the PR framework is not the product of a single political force but rather the outcome of broad-based political consensus. He noted that both the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) contributed to shaping the legal and institutional foundations of the system. He also referenced earlier reviews conducted by a presidential committee that included cabinet ministers from previous administrations, alongside nationwide public consultations in which citizens expressed support for proportional representation.