Thursday, 8 June 2023

12pm Washington D.C.
5pm London / Lagos / Kinshasa
6pm Paris / Cape Town / Cairo
7pm Nairobi

Sierra Leone heads to the polls on 24 June, a significant test for the country's fledgling democracy. Having made an impressive transition to multiparty politics after years of violent conflict -- including becoming one of the small number of African states to achieve two peaceful transfers of power at the ballot box -- this year’s elections have sparked controversy.

Amid growing economic challenges and rising popular anger, President Julius Maada Bio unilaterally changed the electoral system for the legislature from a first-past-the-post model to a system of proportional representation. While the government claims that this new system will be more fair, the last minute nature of the shift, which did not include popular consultation, has led to accusations that the system has now been changed to make it harder to detect electoral manipulation.

This is particularly worrying for Sierra Leone since economic and political protests often have deadly consequences. Although the country has been largely peaceful since the reintroduction of multiparty politics, anti-government protests -- largely driven by the rising costs of living -- have led to scores of deaths among both protesters and police.

Against this backdrop, the country would benefit from a credible election process, including a set of results that are accepted by all parties. Achieving this outcome will be complicated given the close and often contested nature of elections. As in 2018, the Sierra Leone People’s Party is competing against the All People’s Congress, led once again by Samura Kamara. And as in 2018, the election seems likely to be tight, with a strong possibility that no candidate will secure the 55% threshold that is required to win outright in the first round to avoid a second round of voting.

To explore the many key issues animating this election, as well as the threats to credible elections and peace, we have convened a cross-section of activists, writers, and election specialists for an 8 June Twitter Space. Join us to hear the latest and have your say on how the elections might unfold.

Meet our speakers

Moderation