(In Line with Recommendation 78 of the Tripartite Report)
26 June 2025 | Makeni, North-East Sierra Leone
The people of Sierra Leone’s North-East region convened in Makeni City Council Hall on Thursday for the second regional consultation on the country’s electoral future, guided by Recommendation 78 of the Tripartite Report.
Participants were drawn from across the Bombali, Tonkolili, Koinadugu, and Falaba districts. Representing a diverse cross-section of society, attendees included bike riders, market women, drivers, persons with disabilities (PWDs), media professionals, traders, youth organisations, and devolved government sectors.
The session focused on deliberating between District Proportional Representation (PR) and the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) electoral systems.
What began as a structured analysis of the two systems—based on lived experiences and local perspectives—soon turned into an impassioned debate. At moments, the atmosphere was charged, as participants strongly advocated for the system they believed best reflected their socio-political history and realities.
As the discussions progressed, preferences began to crystallise. Participants voiced their opinions with clarity and determination, at times resembling a vote on their preferred electoral model.
The Makeni meeting followed the first consultation held in Port Loko for the North-West region and precedes the next round scheduled for 27 June 2025 in Kenema, representing the Eastern Region.
The regional consultations are being organised by the Tripartite Steering Committee Secretariat in partnership with the Office of the Attorney-General, with funding support from the Government of Sierra Leone and the European Union in Sierra Leone, coordinated through International IDEA Africa.
