CHRDI Urges Leaders to Put Citizens First in Constitutional and Electoral Reforms

The Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI) has called on Sierra Leonean leaders to prioritise citizens over partisan interests as the country undertakes constitutional amendments and electoral reforms.
In a newly released policy brief titled “Democratisation in Sierra Leone: Challenges and Opportunities in Constitutional Review and Electoral Reform,” CHRDI reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the voices of all Sierra Leoneans are heard. The organisation urged leaders to protect citizens’ rights and interests, promote fair and representative electoral systems, and strengthen institutions to guarantee credible elections.
The policy brief examines Sierra Leone’s constitutional and electoral reform processes, questioning whether recent government-led reforms genuinely strengthen democracy or risk undermining it. CHRDI noted that while electoral reform is essential for improving transparency, accountability, and governance, it can also become a “trapdoor for democracy” if manipulated for political advantage.
CHRDI highlighted that the 1991 Constitution remains the foundation of Sierra Leone’s legal and political system, safeguarding fundamental rights, democratic principles, and the separation of powers. Ongoing constitutional reviews, initiated in 2021, and electoral reforms passed in 2022 were designed to address longstanding governance challenges, including executive power, judicial independence, and electoral credibility.